Sep 17, 2024 - Things to Do

How to see the super Harvest Moon eclipse in Philadelphia

A plane flies in front of a golden full moon. — A jet flies in front of last year's full super harvest moon. Photo: David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

Moon gazers will get an extra treat when a partial lunar eclipse shaves a sliver off the top of the full supermoon Tuesday night.

The big picture: September's full Moon, which is called the Harvest Moon because it allowed farmers more light to gather crops before first frost, is the second of four supermoons this year, according to NASA.

A supermoon occurs when the Moon is near its closest point, or perigee, to Earth in its orbit.
It can look brighter than an average Moon and appear around 14% larger than when it's farthest from Earth, per NASA.

How it works: The eclipse can best be seen when the Moon starts entering the Earth's full shadow at 10:13pm ET, per NASA.

It will peak at 10:44pm, when the top 8% of the Moon will be dark, per NASA.

The intrigue: The weather may thwart Tuesday's viewing.

The skies are expected to be cloudy with showers likely in the early Wednesday hours.

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How to see the super Harvest Moon eclipse in Philadelphia

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