Supermoon and partial lunar eclipse rising over Kansas City soon: When to look up

If you look up in the Kansas and Missouri skies on Tuesday, Sept. 17, you may be able to catch a glimpse at not only a supermoon—but also a partial lunar eclipse.

A supermoon occurs when the moon is at its closest point to Earth, according to NASA. NASA calls supermoons the “biggest and brightest” full moons of the year. Supermoons happen three to four times a year and appear consecutively. September’s supermoon is the harvest supermoon.

The next supermoon will be Oct. 17, followed by the last one of 2024 on Nov. 15. There was also a supermoon in August.

A partial lunar eclipse, on the other hand, is when the Earth moves in between the sun and the full moon, but isn’t perfectly aligned. The lunar eclipse will last just over four hours.

This will be the second lunar eclipse of 2024. The next lunar eclipse will be a total one next March, according to Space.com.

In Kansas City, it will begin at 7:41 p.m., shortly after sunset at 7:22, and peak at 9:44 p.m. The lunar eclipse will end at 11:47 p.m.

The weather in Kansas City on Tuesday night could be perfect for viewing the solar event. The National Weather Service is forecasting mostly clear skies with a low of around 69 degrees.

There are three full moons left for the year, according to Space.com. The hunter’s moon will occur Oct. 17, the beaver moon Nov. 15 and the cold moon Dec. 15.

2024 The Kansas City Star. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.