How to watch the harvest moon eclipse - which won't happen again until 2024 - if you live in the UK

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harvest moon

Jon Bunting / Flickr

A big, orange Harvest Moon.

For the second year in a row, this month's full moon will be eclipsed. In the early evening of September 16, the Moon will pass through Earth's shadow, causing it to look dimmer.

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And you might want to catch it, because it will be the final harvest moon eclipse of any kind until 2024.

The full moon in September is also known as a harvest moon because it is the one closest to the Northern Hemisphere's autumn equinox.

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It appears very large and orange in the sky, and is sometimes called the Full Corn Moon because it typically appears in the night sky at the same time farmers harvest their corn.

The Earth has two different types of shadows; penumbral and umbral.

eclipse

Sagredo / Wikimedia Commons

This is how umbral and penumbral shadows are cast.

Last year, the Earth's umbral shadow completely darkened the moon, resulting in a total lunar eclipse. This year's is a penumbral shadow, meaning the shadow spreads out, causing slightly less dramatic effects. You should be able to see patchy shadows in the top quarter of the Moon's disc, though.

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In the UK and in the rest of Europe and West Africa, you will be able to see the eclipse as the moon rises with the naked eye, depending on whether the sky is clear. Unfortunately you won't be able to see it in North and South America.

The eclipse is expected to begin at 5:54 PM and peak at 6:54 PM.

If it's too cloudy tonight, don't worry, you can watch a livestream on the Slooh Observatory website.

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