Kentuckians can see a partial lunar eclipse of the harvest supermoon soon. When to look
Kentucky stargazers will soon get the chance to see one of the brightest full moons of the year.
The harvest moon, which is a partial lunar eclipse and a supermoon, will become full at 10:35 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time Tuesday, according to NASA.
The moon will appear full from Monday evening to Thursday morning, and the National Weather Service’s weather forecast for Lexington shows partly cloudy skies Tuesday night, with a low around 62 degrees Fahrenheit.
A supermoon is defined as either a new or full moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to earth, NASA reports, and supermoons are the “biggest and brightest” full moons of the year.
The full moon closest to the Autumn equinox is referred to as the harvest moon, the Farmers’ Almanac reports, and while this year’s is in September, it sometimes occurs in October. It’s called the harvest moon because the time of year is important for harvesting crops in the Northern Hemisphere.
This month’s full moon is also known as the corn moon, fruit moon, barley moon and other names. Many moon names come from Indigenous cultures. The Farmers’ Almanac uses Indigenous moon names, along with monikers from colonial America and other North American sources.
More full moons in 2024
Here’s when to see the rest of 2024’s full moons, with information from astronomy publication Space.com:
Oct. 17: Hunter’s moon (supermoon)
Nov. 15: Beaver moon (supermoon)
Dec. 15: Cold moon
The Bluegrass Amateur Astronomy Club will host a stargazing event at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill Sept. 28 and another at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary Nov. 2.
Do you have a question about the environment in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
