Illinois will see a partial lunar eclipse of the harvest supermoon soon. When to look up
A bright full moon will rise above Illinois soon, and Belleville residents should be able to enjoy mild temperatures and mostly clear skies for viewing.
The harvest moon, which is a partial lunar eclipse and a supermoon, will become full at 9:35 p.m. Central Daylight Time Tuesday, according to NASA.
The moon will appear full from Monday evening to Thursday morning, and the National Weather Service St. Louis office’s weather forecast for Belleville shows mostly clear skies Tuesday night, with a low around 65 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 St. Louis Astronomical Society will host a viewing event for the partial lunar eclipse from 9 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday at Jefferson College Observatory in Hillsboro, Mo. Attendees are encouraged to bring binoculars and chairs or blankets for comfortable stargazing.
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