If you’ve thought the moon looked a little larger than usual this week, you’re right. This week we’ll be seeing the harvest super moon, which means the moon looks bigger thanks to its proximity to the Earth and its orbit. In addition to a super moon, North Americans will also be seeing a partial lunar eclipse that may or may not be visible in Saskatchewan depending on the weather conditions.
Tomorrow night will mark the second partial lunar eclipse of 2024 and most of North America will be in for the show. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon casting a shadow on the moon and making it appear red in colour. In this case, it’s just a partial lunar eclipse with just the top eight per cent of the moon being covered. Providing the weather conditions are favourable, Saskatchewanians can start viewing the eclipse at 6:44pm and it is expected to peak around 8:44.
According to the weather forecast, there may be clouds Tuesday evening which may obscure the view, however there is an alternative for those wanting to watch this celestial event. A live stream of the event will be set up on YouTube courtesy of TimeAndDate.com starting at 5pm Saskatchewan time. Keep in mind that sunset in southern Saskatchewan is not until 7:08pm which means the first part of the partial eclipse won’t be visible.
The next total lunar eclipse won’t be until March 14th or 15th of 2025.
