This September's full moon is going to coincide with another spectacular celestial event. A penumbral lunar eclipse is set to occur on Sep.16, thereby, making the full moon appear even more spectacular.
The partial lunar eclipse will be visible in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Western Australia, reports Space.com. Those who are interested in watching the event can get to see it live at Slooh.com. The Slooh Community Observatory has allied with Old Farmer's Almanac to broadcast the harvest moon eclipse and the broadcast will begin at 12:45 p.m. EDT.
What is more, the webcast will be accompanied by a complete explanation of the event, courtesy Slooh astronomer Paul Cox. Another expert, Eric Edelman, will also be part of the exercise and he will shed light on the different types of eclipses and their special features. Bob Berman, astronomy editor for The Old Farmer's Almanac will talk about the moon's movement around the earth while Janice Stillman, another editor, will discuss at length the history and folk tales surrounding the Harvest Moon.
For those who do not know, September's full moon is also known as the Harvest Moon, claims National Geographic. The name was coined because this month's moon is closest to the autumn equinox, occurring in the Northern Hemisphere and it gives added light (more time) to the farmers to harvest their crops. This is because it rises half an hour later each night.
This year's special Harvest Moon is definitely going to be a delight for space enthusiasts but it would be slightly less dramatic in comparison to last year because, in 2015, September full moon coincided with a total eclipse. Last time, the moon's surface turned completely blood red but this time, it will be partially darkened. The darkest phase of the moon will be visible at 2:54 p.m. ET.
Therefore, those who want to catch it live, cannot depend on their naked eyes and will have to resort to binoculars and telescopes to get the best view. Also, the event is a must-catch as it is the last Harvest Moon eclipse that will not be repeated until 2024.
