Trifecta supermoon/harvest moon/lunar eclipse tonight, but will Casper see it?
CASPER, Wyo. — A unique grouping of lunar treats is set up for tonight, but Casper’s weather might make moon fans howl with frustration.
A combination harvest moon, supermoon and partial lunar eclipse will take place as the moon rises after 7 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. According to space.com, the partial lunar eclipse will be visible from most of North America, all of South America, all of Europe and most of Africa.
According to timeanddate.com, the partial lunar eclipse will start at 8:12 p.m. here in Casper, hitting maximum at 8:44 p.m. and ending at 9:15 p.m.
During the peak partial lunar eclipse, the moon will appear to have a “bite” from the Earth’s shadow, while the remainder of the moon will appear reddish-brown. This takes place during what’s called a “supermoon,” when a full moon is technically closest to the Earth, thus appearing slightly brighter and larger, particularly along the horizon. There are four supermoons in 2024, including one in October and one in November.
The term “Harvest Moon” is used when a full moon is near the September equinox, which falls on Sept. 22.
Unfortunately, the National Weather Service in Riverton is predicting periods of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and into the evening. The NWS in Riverton calls for cloudy skies and windy conditions after 2 p.m. Tuesday, with showers and thunderstorms mainly before 7 p.m.
With the moon starting to rise above the horizon by around 7:10 p.m. and the eclipse set to start roughly an hour later, it still could be possible to see the event if skies clear in time.