On September 27, the Full Moon will darken as it passes through the shadow of the Earth. This lunar eclipse is the fourth and final in a series (tetrad) we have been enjoying every six months since April 2014. The next lunar eclipse visible in the Driftless Area will not be until Jan 2019. This one coincides with the Harvest Moon, the name we give to the Full Moon that is closest to the Autumnal Equinox (September 23).

Unlike the previous three eclipses that had us staying up really late or rising really early in the morning, this eclipse happens conveniently in the evening. Watch for the Harvest Moon rising in the east at 6:45 just as the Sun is setting in the west. You may notice a golden color to the Moon when it is close to the horizon. You’ll start to see the Moon entering Earth’s shadow at 8:07 when it looks like something is taking a bite out of the Moon. The Moon is totally eclipsed from 9:11 until 10:23. The Moon slowly leaves Earth’s shadow and will fully emerge at 11:27.

Three memories stay with me from previous eclipses. First was the unexpectedly odd shape of the Moon, neither crescent nor gibbous. I was awed by how the familiar was made strange. Second was how Earth’s shadow was first black, but then took on a reddish hue as more of the Moon was engulfed. Sometimes there’s even a hint of blue leading the dark area. Third was how the stars emerged as the Moon was dimmed. The light from the Full Moon usually chases away all but the brightest stars. The darkening of the Moon is a second nightfall. During the eclipse, it may be possible to see our Milky Way arching from the southwest to the northeast and the Great Square of Pegasus above the Moon.

The Harvest Moon Eclipse occurs the same night as the “Super Moon”. I had never heard this term until a few years ago when different media began reporting on it. The Moon’s orbit around the Earth is slightly elliptical, and its distance varies. A “Super Moon” occurs when the Full Moon is closest to Earth. The Moon will be 7% larger than average on September 27. That’s the difference between a 14-inch and 15-inch pizza. It’s nothing that is obviously noticeable, but it gives us all a fun chance to use the mighty phrase “perigee syzygy”. That’s when Sun, Moon, and Earth all align with the Moon closest to Earth.

You are invited to enjoy the eclipse with your fellow moongazers at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve Visitor Center. (8-11:30 pm). Grab a chair, your favorite beverage, your binoculars, and enjoy the show on September 27. It will take you out of the ordinary.

John Heasley is an astronomy educator and stargazer who enjoys connecting people with the cosmos. He volunteers with NASA/JPL as a Solar System Ambassador. For more information about stargazing in southwest WI, like Driftless Stargazing LLC on Facebook and find out whenever there’s something awesome happening in the skies. Driftless Dark Skies appears monthly in the Voice of the River Valley.

Skip to content