A partial lunar eclipse will be visible in Metro Vancouver in September, weather permitting.
Lunar eclipses occur during full moons when Earth is positioned between the moon and the sun. Earth's shadow dims the moon's surface, sometimes causing a striking red hue on the lunar surface during the event. According to NASA, each eclipse is visible to half of the planet.
During a partial lunar eclipse, the "imperfect alignment of Sun, Earth and Moon results in the Moon passing through only part of Earth's umbra." While Earth's shadow dims part of the moon, it doesn't entirely cover the lunar surface (as it would during a total eclipse).
The next full moon is on Sept. 17 and is called the full Harvest Moon because it falls closest to the autumn equinox on Sept. 22. The Old Farmer's Almanac notes that the Harvest Moon sometimes takes place in October, depending on when the full moon takes place.
The partial lunar eclipse will take place during the September supermoon in Vancouver
Since it is considered a "supermoon," the September full moon will appear bigger and brighter due to its proximity to Earth.
EarthSky notes that astronomers usually refer to supermoons as perigean full moons — referring to the moon being "near Earth."
According to timeanddate.com, the partial lunar eclipse will commence in Vancouver on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7:21 p.m. and reach its maximum coverage at 7:44 p.m. The display will end at 9:47 p.m. (see slide two).
Unfortunately, the odds that Metro Vancouverites will have a clear sky to observe the display aren't favourable. In the past, Sept. 17 was cloudy 71 per cent of the time ( in records kept since 2000).
Check the Metro Vancouver weather forecast on Weatherhood to find out what it will be like on the big night in your neighbourhood.
