An unusual celestial blocking: Harvest moon coincides with lunar eclipse today!

New Delhi: If you are a big fan of astronomy then brace yourself to watch the most usual eclipse of 2016 tonight!

On September 16, the Earth will cast its shadow on the Harvest Moon- a rare celestial event that will not occur again till 2024.

If the skies are clear, stargazers of Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia can watch the Harvest moon eclipse without any special equipment.

September's full moon has been dubbed as the harvest moon because it is the nearest to the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. This year's Harvest moon eclipse will be a penumbral lunar eclipse, which is different from a total eclipse.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the Earth's umbra or the darkest part of the Earth's shadow. However, a penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes only through the penumbra or the outer part of the Earth's shadow.

This full moon's name is attributed to Native Americans because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested, according to Farmer's Almanac. Today the Harvest moon eclipse will reach its peak around 2:54 p.m. ET.