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Look up! | Supermoon, partial eclipse visible in Kentucky and Indiana tonight; Here's when

Skywatchers, get ready for a celestial trifecta Tuesday night!
Credit: Linda Gibson
Super Blue Moon captured over Kentuckiana. | Aug. 30, 2023

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A celestial trifecta will hang in the skies over Kentucky and southern Indiana Tuesday night. 

Tonight's moon is a harvest moon, or the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox. It's also a supermoon, so the moon will appear larger and brighter -- and if that's not enough, there will also be a partial lunar eclipse. 

The full moon and lunar eclipse will begin overnight Tuesday, Sept. 17 and go into Wednesday morning. The moon will appear full until Thursday morning, however.

According to NASA, the lunar eclipse begins Tuesday around 8:41 p.m., when the moon enters the Earth's partial shadow. It may be hard to spot until the top edge of the moon begins entering the full shadow at 10:13 p.m.

Credit: Terry Kelley
Super Blue Moon captured over New Albany, Indiana. | Aug. 30, 2023

The partial lunar eclipse's peak will occur at 10:44 p.m. with only the top 8% of the moon in the Earth's full shadow, the space agency explained. The moon will exit the full shadow at 11:16 p.m. and the partial shadow at 12:47 a.m. on Wednesday. 

If you plan on going out tonight to see the supermoon and partial lunar eclipse, expect temperatures in the 60s within the Louisville Metro, and the 50s if you live outside of Jefferson County.

As for whether clouds will block your view of the moon, don't worry. The WHAS11 Weather Impact Team said it will be mostly clear to partly cloudy skies tonight.

When is the next supermoon?

Supermoons happen only three or four times a year. There are four this year. Tuesday's supermoon will be nearly 3,000 miles closer than August's "blue" supermoon. 

The next two supermoons will be seen in October and November. 

TEGNA Digital contributed to this report.

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