Are you ready for tonight’s supermoon partial lunar eclipse?
While many across the province enjoyed a stunning northern lights show last night, another impressive celestial event is set to light up the skies.
The full moon, known as the ‘Corn’ or ‘Harvest’ moon, will reach its peak at 8:35 PM MDT tonight, casting a bright glow across the sky.
This is also the second of four consecutive ‘supermoons,’ a term used when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth, making it appear slightly larger than usual.
But that’s not all! Tonight’s full supermoon will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. The eclipse will begin at 6:41 PM MDT as the moon starts to enter Earth’s penumbra, leading to a gradual dimming. This will occur prior to moonrise in Alberta. However, the effect won’t be noticeable until 8:12 PM MDT when the full shadow starts to cover the top edge of the moon.
NOTE: Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are totally safe to view without any eye protection.
The eclipse will reach its maximum at 8:44 PM MDT, with around 3.5% of the moon’s upper edge obscured by Earth’s umbra. The rest of the moon will appear slightly dimmed with a subtle brownish-red hue as it moves through the penumbral shadow.
The eclipse will start to wind down by 9:15 PM MDT, as the full shadow moves away, with the partial shadow continuing to faintly darken the moon until 10:47 PM MDT.
Unlike a total lunar eclipse, where the entire moon takes on a deep red ‘blood’ color, this partial eclipse will produce a more subtle effect. The moon will appear less bright overall, with only a small portion of its top edge noticeably darker than the rest.
As for those hoping to catch another glimpse of the northern lights tonight, it’s unlikely. The Space Weather Prediction Center isn’t forecasting any geomagnetic storms, though unexpected events can always occur. While a northern lights display tonight isn’t out of the question, current data suggests it’s not something to count on.
– Brennen
