Louisiana, You’ll Be Able to Catch a Partial Lunar Eclipse Tonight

If you are up late tonight here in Louisiana, make sure you go outside and check out the partial lunar eclipse.

Oh, and it'll also be a supermoon as well.

The partial lunar eclipse will be visible across North America and South America tonight (Tuesday, Sept. 17) and in Africa and Europe on Wednesday morning.

What is a partial lunar eclipse?

A partial lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes between the sun and moon, casting a shadow that darkens a sliver of the moon and appears to take a bite out of it.

What is a supermoon?

During a supermoon, the full moon inches a bit closer to Earth than usual.

A supermoon isn't bigger, but it can appear that way in the night sky. Scientists though say the difference can be barely perceptible.

Three supermoons are remaining this year.

Is special eye protection needed to view a partial lunar eclipse?

Nope. You can stare at the moon with the naked eye or opt for binoculars and telescopes to get a closer look.

When will tonight's partial lunar eclipse take place?

The moon will start entering the Earth's partial shadow at 7:41 pm CST. The slight dimming of the moon will be difficult to notice until the top edge of the moon starts entering the full shadow at 9:13 pm.

The peak of the eclipse will be at 9:44 pm with only the top 8% of the moon in full shadow.

The moon will finish exiting the full shadow at 10:16 pm and the partial shadow at 11:47 pm.