Don't forget to look up this week because September's full moon isn't a standard one.
The harvest moon, named to match the time of year corn is traditionally harvested, will also be a so-called "supermoon" due to its size and brightness. The moon also will be eclipsed by the Earth as it rises into the late summer skies. Unlike April's total solar eclipse, you don't need to travel to Indiana to see the celestial sight.
The next full moon is officially at 9:34 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, Sept. 17. But, the moon started appearing full on Monday evening and will continue through Thursday, according to Space.com.
Lunar eclipses always occur at the full moon phase when Earth is positioned between the moon and the sun.
When those three bodies align, Earth's shadow falls upon the surface of the moon, dimming it and causing odd changes in its appearance, according to NASA. In the case of a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves into the inner part of Earth's shadow, or the umbra, which can turn the lunar surface a striking red for a few hours.
But what's happening this week is a partial lunar eclipse, which can still cause the moon to give off a reddish hue.
A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the three celestial bodies do not cross in a perfectly straight line. Only a small part of the moon is covered by the Earth's shadow while the rest of the moon is covered by Earth's outermost shadow, the penumbra.
Though the shadow grows and then recedes, it never entirely covers the moon, and, thus, only part of it appears red.
Any lunar eclipse can only be seen from half of Earth.
This week's partial lunar eclipse should be visible Tuesday night across the entire northern hemisphere, including North America. For those in the United States, that means all lower 48 states should have a view.
According to NASA, the moon will enter Earth's partial shadow at 7:41 p.m., but it's the peak of the eclipse that viewers will want to witness. While the moon will slightly dim around 9:13 p.m., the peak itself will occur at 9:43 p.m.
At that time, a dark shadow will appear at the top of the moon, gradually covering about 8% of it, before receding. The moon will finish exiting the full shadow at 11:16 p.m. and the partial shadow on Wednesday morning at 12:47 a.m., NASA said.
Timeanddate.com offers a detailed eclipse schedule for any location on the planet.
September's moon will also be one of the biggest and brightest moons of the year. A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with its closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit. If you can't make the lunar eclipse, the Harvest Moon will happen from Monday through Thursday morning.
Des Moines is predicted to have mostly clear skies on Tuesday for the full moon. The temperature will get as low as 67 degrees with winds from the south up to 8 to 10 mph, according to the National Weather Service's Des Moines office.
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.