The autumn sky has a lot to offer Partial lunar eclipse in September

It's worth getting up early in the morning on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. That's when a small, partial lunar eclipse can be observed - if the sky is clear.

When is the partial lunar eclipse?

September offers a special spectacle in the night sky with a partial lunar eclipse. On Wednesday, September 18, the full moon dips into the Earth's penumbra and grazes the umbra.

What is the best time to see the lunar eclipse?

In the middle of the eclipse at 4.44 a.m., around nine percent of the moon's apparent diameter will be hit by the Earth's umbra - in other words, it will be eclipsed. During this partial phase, a small section of the full moon appears to be missing - it looks as if it has been "nibbled" - because no direct sunlight hits this part. The moon enters the umbra at 4.12 am. About an hour later, at 5.17 a.m., the moon leaves the umbra again.

How can I observe the partial lunar eclipse?

If the sky is clear, the phenomenon can be observed with the naked eye or, even better, with binoculars. Special equipment is not usually necessary. Of course, the less light pollution there is, the better the view.

How does a lunar eclipse occur?

Eclipses are the result of the celestial interplay between the sun, moon and earth. During a lunar eclipse, the Earth stands in a straight line between the Sun and the Moon - the full Moon dips into the shadow cast by the Earth illuminated by the Sun.

The fact that a lunar eclipse does not occur every time there is a full moon is due to the slight inclination of the moon's orbit to the ecliptic - the plane of the Earth's orbit. Because of this inclination of around five degrees, the moon usually passes above or below the Earth's shadow on its orbit around the Earth.

Only when the full moon is exactly at one of the two intersections of the moon's orbit and the Earth's orbit will it be caught by the Earth's shadow. These points of intersection are also called dragon points - in reference to Chinese mythology: when people in ancient China saw an eclipse, they believed that a celestial dragon would devour the star.

Supermoons in September and October

On September 17/18, the moon will also come close to the Earth. It will be 357,286 kilometers away from us, making it almost the closest and largest full moon of the year. The next supermoon highlight will follow in October 2024, when the moon will be even closer to the full moon date: just under 357,400 kilometers.

The coincidence of the full moon and its proximity to the Earth leads to spring tides on the coasts. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can also be triggered during these days. New moon is reached on September 3 at 3.56 am. Two days later, the moon will be 406,211 kilometers away from the earth.