How to View Tonight’s Unique Harvest-Blood-Supermoon Event

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On Tuesday evening, stargazers across North America, South America, Europe, and Africa will witness a rare celestial phenomenon: the simultaneous appearance of the harvest moon, a blood moon, and a supermoon.

According to Teresa Monsue, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, having all three events occur at the same time is “quite rare.”

What is a Harvest Moon?

The harvest moon appears around the time of the autumn equinox and is known for its bright light that historically aided farmers in harvesting their late-season crops. This special moonrise is due to the alignment of the moon’s orbit and the Earth’s horizon, making the moon rise more quickly than usual. This creates an optical illusion, making the harvest moon seem larger. This effect will be enhanced tonight as the harvest moon also coincides with a supermoon.

What is a Supermoon?

A supermoon occurs when the full moon aligns with the point in its orbit that is closest to Earth, making the moon appear larger and brighter than usual. Supermoons happen about three to four times a year, depending on the moon’s orbit and its distance from Earth.

What is a Blood Moon?

A blood moon happens during a lunar eclipse when the Earth’s shadow partially blocks the sun’s light from reaching the moon, giving it a reddish tint. Tonight’s event will feature this reddish hue due to a partial lunar eclipse occurring simultaneously with the harvest moon and supermoon.

Where and When to Watch the Harvest-Blood-Supermoon

For the best viewing experience, choose a location with clear skies. The Midwest, South, and Southern Plains of the U.S. are expected to have good visibility, while cities on the West Coast, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, should also have clear skies. However, the East Coast, including cities like Boston and Washington, D.C., may face cloudier conditions that could obstruct the view.

The partial lunar eclipse will start at 8:41 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and reach its peak at 10:44 p.m., with the moon starting to enter full shadow as early as 10:13 p.m., according to NASA.

When is the Next Harvest-Blood-Supermoon?

The next occurrence of this rare combination will be in fall 2033. This event will be even more unique, as it will feature a full lunar eclipse instead of a partial one. The upcoming full supermoon will be visible on October 17, 2024, and the next lunar eclipse is scheduled for March 14, 2025, as per NASA.