Supermoon and Partial Lunar Eclipse to illuminate Park City skies

PARK CITY, Utah — The full Harvest Moon will reach peak illumination on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 8:35 p.m. MT, according to NASA. Summit County residents will be able to enjoy the full moon for about three days, from Monday evening through Thursday morning.

This year’s Harvest Moon will also include a partial lunar eclipse, which occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow on the moon’s surface.

During this event, the moon will begin entering Earth’s partial shadow at 6:41 p.m. MT, with the full shadow covering it by 8:13 p.m. The eclipse will conclude when the moon leaves the full shadow at 9:16 p.m., and the partial shadow will disappear by 10:47 p.m.

This full moon is also a supermoon, which occurs when the moon is near its closest point to Earth in its orbit, making it appear larger and brighter than usual.

The term “Harvest Moon” originates from the Old Farmer’s Almanac, which has been assigning names to full moons since the 1930s. It refers to the moon rising shortly after sunset for several consecutive nights, giving farmers additional light to harvest their crops. The Harvest Moon can occur in either September or October, depending on its alignment with the autumnal equinox.