![]() The result of all this is that the Moon doesn’t rise at the same time everyday.īut around the date of the Harvest Moon, the Moon does rise at about the same time for several days in a row. Why? Remember that the zodiac is the band of constellations through which the Moon travels from night to night. At any one moonrise, the Moon occupies a particular place on the celestial sphere (the great dome of the heavens), but when the Earth turns toward that point 24 hours later, the Moon has moved off to the east about 12 degrees, and it takes an average of 50 minutes longer for the Earth to rotate toward the Moon and for the Moon thus to “rise.” Think of it as a giant Slinky in which each loop, representing one lunar orbit of the Earth, advances the orbit a bit farther along the spiral path. The Moon’s orbital motion (combined with the larger orbit of the Earth around the Sun) carries it farther eastward among the constellations of the zodiac from night to night. If interested, here is more detailed information about the Harvest Moon. (Warning: Scientific explanation below!) Harvest moom full#It may almost seem as if there are full Moons multiple nights in a row! But for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the Moon seems to rise at nearly the same time: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the northern USA, and only 10 to 20 minutes later farther north in Canada and Europe.Īdditionally, the Harvest Moon rises at sunset and then will rise very near sunset for several nights in a row because the difference is at a yearly minimum.Usually, throughout the year, the Moon rises an average of about 50 minutes later each day.There are just a little over 12 complete Moon cycles every year, on average (there being about 29.53 days in a synodic month). The Harvest Moon isn’t like the other Moons. This results in an abundance of bright moonlight early in the evening, which was a traditional aide to farmers and crews harvesting their summer-grown crops. Why Is it Called the Harvest Moon?įor several evenings, the moonrise comes soon after sunset. However, it occasionally lands in October instead, replacing the full Hunter’s Moon. The Harvest Moon does typically occur in September, taking the place of the full Corn Moon. Instead, the Harvest Moon relates to the timing of the autumnal equinox(September 22, 2022), with the full Moon that occurs nearest to the equinox being the one to take on the name “Harvest Moon.” This means that the Harvest Moon can occur in either September or October, depending on how the lunar cycle lines up with the Gregorian calendar. One thing that sets the Harvest Moon apart from other full Moon names is that it’s not associated with a specific month, as the others are. EDT on Saturday, September 10 (it will be below the horizon at this time, however). This is called moon illusion because the rising or setting moon looks bigger than when it does high in the sky.This year, the brilliant Harvest Moon first appears in the evening of Friday, September 9, before reaching peak illumination at 5:58 A.M. There is also an added treat to watching a harvest moon. A low hanging harvest moon can give an array of colors that is not usually seen. Wildfires in North America and dust storms in Africa sometimes fill our air with aerosols. Some years there is an extra treat for moon watchers when they do their gazing between dusk and dawn. The moon during the year rises about 50 minutes later each day, but near autumn equinox the time shortens to 30 minutes. They have also proven that the birds wait for this moon to begin their migration. Some studies have proven that birds rely on the Harvest moon to migrate from one area to another. This is the perfect time to watch the birds migrate past the light that emits from the moon. It received the name of harvest moon because it appears in the Northern Hemisphere at the time of the year that coincides with the harvesting of crops.ĭuring a harvest moon there are other advantages for the bird lovers of our planet. Other names for this moon are the Wine Moon, the Elk Call Moon and the Singing Moon. The same moon appears three days in succession, but the one that appears on Saturday is the one that receives this name. Once in every three years we get the same full moon in October, but the one in September is called the harvest moon because farmers can continue their harvest late into the night by the light of the full moon. The harvest moon happens on 13:59 Greenwich time on the Saturday nearest to the fall equinox, which is September 23rd. The moon officially turns full when it reaches the spot opposite to the sun. A harvest moon occurs at a specific time of the year. ![]()
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