A celestial trifecta -- including a supermoon and partial lunar eclipse -- will fill up tonight's sky

Tonight's full moon sky will offer an unusual trifecta of celestial delights. "September’s harvest moon will not only coincide with a supermoon, but also with a blood moon and partial lunar eclipse," reports Chandelis Duster of NPR. "While harvest moons happen each year close to the start of fall and supermoons three to four times a year, all three events taking place at the same time are 'quite rare,' astrophysicist Teresa Monsue of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center told NPR. . . . The moon is considered 'super' when it is full and its orbit is at the closest point to Earth."

The best time to view the three events depends on where you live and the weather. "The lunar eclipse will peak at 10:44 p.m. E.T., according to NASA. All of North and South America will have a chance to see the partial lunar eclipse and harvest supermoon," Duster adds. "This lunar eclipse will be a partial one, with only the upper portion of the moon [known as the umbra] being plunged into the darkest part of the Earth's shadow."

No special protective viewing glasses are required for tonight's cosmic viewing. "Unlike a solar eclipse, where you must wear special glasses to protect your eyesight when looking at it, skygazers can see the lunar eclipse with ease and without eye protection," Duster reports. "The eclipse should also be a good chance for views of contrast on craters and other features on the lunar surface if you use a telescope or binoculars, Monsue said."

If you miss tonight's eclipse and supermoon, you'll have to wait awhile for another chance. "The next one will not happen until Oct. 8, 2033, according to Monsue," Duster adds. "But you will be able to see another full supermoon on Oct. 17 and a total lunar eclipse on March 14, 2025."