The 2016 Harvest Moon eclipse will be the last one for 8 years — here's how to see it
There's only one more eclipse left in 2016. Fortunately, it's going to be awesome. The Sept. 16 lunar eclipse coincides with a Harvest Moon, meaning you'll see a giant, orange moon overtaken by the shadow of the Earth. And if you miss it, bad news — it's the last of its kind until 2024.
Here's how and when to watch this year's Harvest Moon penumbral eclipse:
The best-possible view of the eclipse, when it's at its "deepest and darkest," is at 2:54 p.m. eastern time, according to National Geographic — but only if you live in Europe, Africa, Asia or Australia. If you don't live in any of those places, don't worry — the Slooh observatory launches its Harvest Moon penumbral lunar eclipse live stream on Friday, September 16, at 12:45pm eastern time.
The whole event lasts for just under four hours, as the Moon passes through Earth's outer shadow, called the penumbra.
Unlike the super blood moon total eclipse last year, the darkening of moon this year won't be quite as obvious to the naked eye. Therefore, National Geographic says, you'll probably need binoculars or a telescope to see the Earth's shadow over the moon.
See the incredible 2015 blood moon:
No, this year's event won't have that "holy cow" element of last year's super blood moon total eclipse — an event that was extremely rare and hadn't happened in over 30 years. But, considering this Friday's eclipse is the last of its kind for another eight years, you should definitely spend some of your Friday looking up — or watching from home.
Learn tricks to taking the best photos of the harvest moon:
