What time is the Supermoon Eclipse? Here's how to watch the extra-special September 2024 partial lunar eclipse
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It has already been a banner year for Scottish stargazers, with several great chances to see the Aurora Borealis, several meteor showers, an alignment of no fewer than six planets, and four supermoons (the last of which occurs this week).
This evening it’ll be another late night for those of us who like looking to the skies, with a partial lunar eclipse.
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Hide AdAnd it’s an extra-special one, occuring on the cusp of the aforementioned final supermoon of 2024.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when when the Moon aligns directly behind the Earth relative to the Sun. This alignment causes the moon to pass through Earth's shadow. A total lunar eclipse sees the Moon entirely covered by the Earth’s shadow, while a partial eclipse means only part of the Moon is affected.
What does a lunar eclipse look like?
At the start it looks like a small ‘bite’ has been taken out of the moon, as the Earth’s shadow starts to fall upon it. The ‘bite’ gets bigger and bigger and can make the moon appear to be red in colour, before it recedes.
What time can I see the lunar eclipse?
Lunar eclipses take far longer than their higher-profile - and more spectacular - solar cousins. In Scotland the lunar eclipse will start at 1.41am on Wednesday, September 18, and finish at 5.47am. It will be at its peak at 3.44am.
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Hide AdWhat is the weather forecast?
The weather for the majority of Scotland looks like being clear throughout the night, so you should have a pretty good chance of seeing it.
What is a supermoon?
A supermoon is a phenomenon that occurs when the full moon or new moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth in its orbit, known as perigee. Because the moon is closer to Earth during this time, it appears larger and brighter than usual, hence the name. It means that the moon appears up to 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than when it’s at its furthest from Earth.
The partial eclipse won’t quite be at the time when the moon is at its fullest - that happens at 7.28pm on Wednesday, September 18 - but won’t be far off and the Moon will look near-full.
How rare are lunar eclipses?
Partial lunar eclipses take place a couple of times a year, but it’s far rarer to have one occur during a near-full supermoon.
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Hide AdHow much of the Moon will be covered by the Earth’s shadow?
It’s not a particularly big eclipse, with only around four per cent of the Moons surface covered by the complete darkness of the Earth’s darker umbra shadow. More will be covered by the lighter penumbra shadow but that doesn’t cause as dramatic an effect and is barely visible to the eye.
There’s not too long to wait for the next full lunar eclipse - which will take place on March 14, 2025.
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