This year's harvest moon will be a supermoon that will shine for three full days just before the start of fall .
The harvest moon is different from all other full moons in that it isn't tied to a particular month, but rather to the timing of full moons around the autumnal equinox. The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox earns the harvest moon moniker, which means an early October full moon may at times be called the harvest moon. This year, the equinox will be on Sept. 22.
Here are some quick facts about what makes this September's full moon so special, beyond being the second straight supermoon full moon .
When is the full moon in September?
The harvest moon will be visible on the evening of Monday, Sept. 16, and then it will shine at peak illumination by 10:34 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 17, according to Space.com .
- đ New moon : Sept. 3
- đ First quarter : Sept. 11
- đ Full moon : Sept. 17
- đ Last quarter : Sept. 24
Why is it called the harvest moon?
The harvest m o on came to be called that because of the abundance of bright moonlight in the early evening hours when farmers harvested their crops. In the days before electricity, they worked well into the night as autumn began.
Unlike other full moons, the harvest moon rises at nearly the same time for the few nights surrounding it, according to the BBC's Sky at Night Magazine. It will also rise very near sunset for those few nights, appearing like a full moon for three days in a row.
This year's harvest moon will also be a supermoon.
What is a supermoon?
A supermoon happens when a full moon's orbit is closest to the Earth at the same time the moon is full. At approximately 226,000 miles from Earth, the full moon appears brighter and larger than a regular full moon, hence the term supermoon, according to NASA .
What will the weather be like during the September supermoon?
Though we have a couple of weeks until the harvest moon, it's never too early to know what the weather will be like for some moon gazing.
According to the AccuWeather forecast for Columbus, the skies on September 17 are predicted to be cloudy with a chance of light rain, with a high of 73 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon, the hunter's moon. will occur on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 7:26 a.m.
This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: When is the full moon in September? Harvest supermoon will shine for days
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