A partial lunar eclipse will be visible in the skies over the United States next week, and it will coincide with one of this year’s “supermoons,” according to NASA officials.
Four consecutive supermoons are taking place, and next week’s eclipse will coincide with one of the Moon’s closest approaches to Earth this year.
The partial lunar eclipse will darken and partially obscure the full moon over the skies of North America, including the Chicago area.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is a “supermoon”?
According to NASA, a “supermoon” occurs when a full or new moon is within 90% of its closest approach to the Earth, or roughly an average of 226,000 miles from Earth.
In general, those full moons tend to be a bit brighter than usual, and can appear somewhat bigger in the sky, according to officials.
What is a “lunar eclipse”?
While a solar eclipse occurs during daylight hours and occurs when the new moon crosses in front of the sun, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth’s shadow obscures the light from the sun as it reflects off the surface of the full moon at night.
In a total lunar eclipse, the moon’s surface can sometimes take on an eerie red color, though in partial eclipses, like the one that will occur this month, that will not occur.
So what can Chicago residents expect?
According to TimeandDate, the partial lunar eclipse will begin at approximately 7:41 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday, Sept. 17. It will reach its peak at approximately 9:44 p.m., and will end just before midnight.
There will be a visible darkening of the moon, but there will only be a partial obscuring of the moon’s surface, according to NASA.