Astronomy Essentials

Partial lunar eclipse September 17-18, 2024

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September 17, 2024

Map with large black area over the Americas and parts of Europe and Africa. — View full map. | Map showing the areas of visibility for the September 17-18, 2024, partial lunar eclipse. Image via Dominic Ford from In-the-sky.org. Used with permission.

People in the Americas, parts of Antarctica, western Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Atlantic Ocean, and eastern Polynesia will see a shallow partial lunar eclipse overnight on September 17-18, 2024. The steady golden light near the eclipsed moon will be the planet Saturn.

The whole half of Earth facing the full moon – that is, the whole half of Earth that’s in nighttime – will see the lunar eclipse. Of course, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the unaided eye. Binoculars and telescopes aren’t required to view a lunar eclipse, but they do enhance the view.

At this eclipse, only a small fraction of the moon will enter Earth’s dark umbral shadow. For the most part, the September 17-18, 2024, lunar eclipse will appear as a penumbral eclipse of the moon. In other words, as the eclipse progresses, you should notice a dark shading on the moon (Earth’s penumbral shadow), followed by the barest of dark bites (Earth’s dark umbral shadow) taken from one edge of the moon.

And don’t forget Saturn! It’s the bright object near the moon on September 17-18.

Partial lunar eclipse September 17-18, 2024

See below for local viewing times from select cities of the partial lunar eclipse.

Chart of 5 cities listing — Here are local times for select cities indicating when the partial lunar eclipse begins and when the greatest eclipse occurs. Times via timeanddate.com.

Check timeanddate.com for precise timing from your location.

When the lunar eclipse occurs worldwide

Penumbral eclipse begins at 0:41 UTC on September 18, 2024. Earth’s lighter penumbral shadow will begin crossing the moon’s face. You probably won’t notice it at first. But, as the eclipse progresses, you should see a subtle shading on the moon.
Partial eclipse begins at 2:12 UTC on September 18, 2024. Now it’ll appear as if a tiny, but dark, bite is taken from one edge of the moon.
Greatest eclipse at 2:44 UTC on September 18, 2024. Only a small portion of the moon – about 8% – will be eclipsed by Earth’s dark shadow.
Partial eclipse ends at 3:16 UTC on September 18, 2024.
Penumbral eclipse ends at 4:47 UTC on September 18, 2024.
Note: A bright “star” will appear near the eclipsed moon. It’s really a planet, it’s Saturn.

Three images of a full moon with different percentages of the partial lunar eclipse with the moon darkened at the bottom. — View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Nikolaos Pantazis in Athens, Greece, captured these images on October 28, 2023. Nikolaos wrote: “A collage of tonight’s partial lunar eclipse. The photos were shot at hours UTC, 19:45, 20:00 and 20:15, from start to maximum cover by the Earth’s shadow.” Thank you, Nikolaos!

Visit timeanddate.com to get an exact timing of the eclipse from your location.

Video of the lunar eclipse.

How long will it last?

From start to finish, the eclipse will last 246 minutes. And the moon will be in Earth’s dark shadow – for the partial eclipse – for only 64 minutes.

Diagram of the sun on left, Earth in the middle casting shadow, moon in shadow on right. — During a lunar eclipse, Earth’s shadow falls on the moon. So if the moon passes through the dark central shadow of Earth – the umbra – a partial or total lunar eclipse takes place. But if the moon only passes through the outer part of the shadow (the penumbra), a subtle penumbral eclipse occurs. Diagram via Fred Espenak’s Lunar Eclipses for Beginners. Used with permission.

Who can see lunar eclipses?

A full moon is up only at night. And a total lunar eclipse is visible from all parts of Earth that are experiencing night while the eclipse is taking place. But some will see the eclipse more clearly, or more thoroughly, than others, depending on location. For example, some will see it at moonrise or moonset, when the moon is low in the sky.

The constellation behind the partial lunar eclipse

The September 17-18, 2024, partial lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is in the constellation of Pisces the Fish.

Find the moon’s path with respect to Earth’s umbral and penumbral shadows below.

Chart showing the moon in eclipse and where it's visible from. — A map for the partial lunar eclipse on September 17-18, 2024. It sweeps across the Americas, parts of Antarctica, western Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Atlantic Ocean, and eastern Polynesia. Areas in white on the map will see all of the partial eclipse. The line down the middle notes where the greatest eclipse occurs. Shaded areas will see part of the eclipse and dark areas are where the eclipse is not visible. Note the difference between UTC and TD (terrestrial dynamical time, often abbreviated TT as well). Key to lunar eclipse maps here. Image via Fred Espenak/ EclipseWise/. Used with permission.

Maps and data for the total lunar eclipse

More resources

Visit timeanddate.com to get an exact timing of the eclipse from your location.

Submit your lunar eclipse photo to EarthSky here.

EarthSky’s monthly night sky guide: Visible planets and more

Total lunar eclipse: Brightly colored covers of three large-format books. — For the best in eclipse info – from a world’s expert – visit Fred’s publications page.

Bottom line: A shallow partial lunar eclipse takes place on September 17-18, 2024, visible in the Americas, parts of Antarctica, western Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Atlantic Ocean, and eastern Polynesia. Saturn is the bright light nearby. Maps and details here.

Posted

September 17, 2024

Astronomy Essentials

Marcy Curran

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About the Author:

EarthSky producer and editor Marcy Curran has enjoyed stargazing since she was a girl, going on family camping trips under the dark skies of Wyoming. You might know her best nowadays for her popular EarthSky Minute - which provides a heads up on that night's sky - at our YouTube channel. Marcy bought her first telescope in time to see Halley’s Comet in 1985. She co-founded her local astronomy club. And she taught astronomy at her local community college for over 20 years. Marcy and her husband live in Wyoming.

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Partial lunar eclipse September 17-18, 2024