Next chance Brits will get at seeing supermoon as rare moon and lunar eclipse visible last night
The last opportunities Brits will have to see a supermoon in 2024 have been confirmed.
Anyone gazing up at the night sky yesterday (17 September) would have enjoyed the rare combination of a partial lunar eclipse - where the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow on the latter - alongside the harvest supermoon.
The event gave the appearance that someone had bitten a chunk out of the moon's top right side in the early hours of the morning.
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A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with a time that it is closest to Earth during its orbit. The event causes the moon to appear around 30 percent brighter and 14 percent bigger than usual, hence the moniker 'supermoon'.
The moon appeared at its largest in the early evening and even had a slightly orange appearance early on in the evening, leading to stargazers up and down the country to share their snaps on social media.
Meanwhile the partial lunar eclipse is said to have occurred between 1.41am and 5.47am UK time, according to Sky News.
Last night's supermoon also gets its name the Harvest Moon, which refers to the full moon closest to the time of the autumn equinox. This moon was historically beneficial to farmers harvesting their summer crops.
Missed your chance to see the lunar event or were too busy sleeping? Don't worry, there are still other chances where you can see a supermoon before the end of 2024.
Supermoons usually occur around three to four times a year, with two more currently pencilled in before the end of 2024.
These opportunities will occur in the next two months, with a hunter moon set to arrive on 18 October, followed by a beaver moon on 15 November.
However the next supermoons are unlikely to be as impressive as last night's, as partial lunar eclipses are a rarer occurrence - with the next one set to happen on August 2026.
This will also be a much more impressive event, as around 96 percent of the Moon will be cast into shadow.
Mark it in your calendar stargazing enthusiasts.
The first supermoon of 2024 occurred late last month, 19 August, and was also a blue moon - which actually isn't blue - and can be defined as either there are two full moons in one month or the third full moon of an astronomical season.
According to Time and Date, the next monthly blue moon will be on 31 May, 2026 while the next seasonal blue moon will take place on 20 May, 2027.
Brenna Cooper