The Harvest Moon will rise Saturday night, Sept. 26, bringing one of the most recognizable full moons of the year to the early autumn sky.
The Harvest Moon is the traditional name for the full moon occurring closest to the autumnal equinox. This year, the autumnal equinox arrived Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 8:05 p.m. EDT.
The full moon is expected to rise around sunset Saturday and remain visible throughout much of the night.
The moon earned its Harvest Moon name because its timing historically provided farmers with additional evening light to work in their fields and gather crops after sunset.
The September full moon also has several other traditional names, including the Corn Moon, Autumn Moon, Falling Leaves Moon and Rutting Moon.
Those watching the moon shortly after it rises may notice it appearing yellow, orange or even slightly reddish near the horizon. The effect occurs because moonlight travels through more of Earth’s atmosphere when the moon is low in the sky, scattering some colors before the light reaches the observer.
As the moon climbs higher, the orange tint typically fades and the moon appears brighter and whiter.
No special equipment is needed to view the Harvest Moon. Anyone with a clear view of the sky Saturday night should be able to see the September full moon.
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Patrick Byrne lives in Tega Cay with his wife and two daughters. After 25 years working for a Big 4 bank, he retired to pursue his passion for writing. Additional articles and content can be found on his blog (reverian1776.blogspot.com) and freethepeople.org.
Patrick can be reach via email at [email protected]
