By: Bailey Johnson
Published: September 18,2013
As Neil Young sang, "I'm still in love with you / I want to see you
dance again / because I'm still in love with you / on this Harvest
Moon."
Okay, he was probably singing about a lady, and not the
actual Harvest Moon. But we're incorrigible skywatchers here at
Weather.com, and for us there's nothing more romantic than a Harvest
Moon. Sure, it happens every year, but we're still in love!
But what is a Harvest Moon, exactly? And why should we be
watching the skies this Wednesday and Thursday to see it? Here are ten facts you need to know, starting with the most basic:
1.
The Harvest Moon is the name given to the full moon that rises closest
to the autumnal equinox. This year's equinox — the official start of
autumn — is September 22.
2. Why "harvest"? As
NASA's Dr. Tony Phillips explains,
"In the days before electric lights, farmers depended on bright
moonlight to extend the workday beyond sunset. It was the only way they
could gather their ripening crops in time for market. The full moon
closest to the autumnal equinox became the Harvest Moon, and it was
always a welcome sight."
3. Where can you see the Harvest Moon? Everywhere! When the moon is full, it's full for the entire planet. When exactly the moon
becomes
full changes slightly depending on your location. For Americans on the
East Coast, the Harvest Moon will peak at 7:13 AM. But the Harvest Moon
will be shining all night on Wednesday, September 18.
4. The Harvest Moon is special. Normally, the moon
rises on average 50 minutes later everyday as the year moves on. But the
Harvest Moon gets a jump on the calendar by rising only 30 minutes
later. This slightly earlier rise is what offered more light to busy
farmers.
5. But the Harvest Moon isn't
that special. It will still look more or less like a typical full moon.
6. The size of the moon in the sky is dependent on
its orbit. When the moon is particularly close to Earth, a full moon
will appear noticeably larger in the sky. This is what is known as a
supermoon. The most recent supermoon was last June.
7. Occasionally a Harvest Moon will
also be a supermoon. This happened back in 2010, and is next expected in 2029.
8. Are Harvest Moons the only kind of special moon? Not at all! There's the classic
blue moon,
but also quite a few you may not have heard of. Did you notice the
Sturgeon Moon back in August? Or the Strawberry Moon in June? How about
the Wolf Moon, Hunter Moon, or Beaver Moon? Before modern calendars,
naming full moons was a way for people to keep track of time.
9. How frequent are full moons? It takes 29.5 days
for the moon to completely cycle from full moon to new moon and back to
full. As this is every so slightly shorter than our calendar months,
this is the reason there are occasionally blue moons — the term used to
describe the second full moon in a month.
10. Are there any classic, American folk rock songs about the Harvest Moon?
Why yes there are! And I'm so glad you asked.
MORE: Beautiful Full Moon Images
A harvest moon lights up the night sky in Sunbury, Ohio. iWitness/immar_2
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