Sky Matters: How to see an eclipse, supermoon and Harvest Moon all at once tonight

The phenomena are not linked – it is chance that they occur on the same night

Last month’s Blue Supermoon rises behind Robert’s Cove. Picture: Chani Anderson

As September rolls around again, the nights begin to lengthen noticeably and the summer constellations find themselves disappearing into the daylight hours for another year. On Sunday, Sep 22, 2024, at 1:43 pm, the Sun will be directly overhead the equator, and the days and nights will be of equal length across the globe, giving us the annual Autumnal Equinox. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere this is a time associated with bringing in the last of the summer’s harvest bounty. 

The Full Moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox is, not surprisingly, often referred to as the Harvest Moon. It is said that ancient farmers used the light of the rising Harvest Moon to enable them to continue to work the fields after sunset. Whether this is accurate or not, as anyone who has ventured outdoors under a full moon will tell you, the light cast by our nearest celestial neighbour is certainly bright enough to prolong the working day.