A harvest moon will soon rise over SC. Here’s when and what that means
A fall harvest moon is imminent this week.
The full moon will take place this month on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 5:59 a.m., according to timeanddate.com.
Why is it called a Harvest Moon?
Harvest moon is the term for the Full Moon that occurs closest to September’s autumnal equinox. This unique occurrence is an interest to many because, unlike other occurrences, the moon rises around the same time for several days in a row.
This year’s autumnal equinox is set to occur on Sept. 22.
The name ‘harvest moon’ is set to reflect the time of year that it occurs, as many full moons are named to reflect the time of year in which they take place.
In addition to its seasonal name, there is another reason as to how the harvest moon garnered its name.
The moon tends to rise around 50 minutes later each day. When the moon is full, it rises as the sun sets. However, in the Northern Hemisphere, around the time of the harvest moon, the day-to-day difference in the time of moonrise is less than 50 minutes. When at the lower latitude of New York in the United States, the difference is around 25 minutes per day, according to timeanddate.com.
Historically, the extra moonlight from consecutive moonrises meant that farmers could work and harvest their crops for a longer period of time during these evenings. Thus, the term harvest moon was coined.
What does it look like?
Occasionally, this full moon will turn varying shades of orange, similar to a fall pumpkin decoration or jack-o-lantern. This phenomenon is due to the greater thickness in the atmosphere and its closer location to the horizon, according to EarthSky.
Its larger than normal appearance boils down to an illusion of the full moon’s physical state, also known as “moon illusion.”
This occurrence happens shortly after it has risen as the moon still lingers along the horizon. The moon’s reddish-orange appearance can also be equated to moon Illusion, as it is caused by the greater thickness of the Earth’s atmosphere, as described by EarthSky.
Other astronomical Moon-related events from this year
On April 30, a partial lunar eclipse occurred nearly worldwide.
A total lunar eclipse occurred in mid-May.
On June 14, a supermoon occurred from the full moon named as the strawberry moon. A supermoon will occur when the moon’s orbit is closest to the Earth at the same time the moon is full, as defined by NASA.
On July 13, a supermoon was recorded as the closest full supermoon of the year.
On August 12, a supermoon occurred from the Full Moon named as the sturgeon moon.
