Harvest Moon Lights Up the Autumn Sky with its Supermoon Status
As the seasons change and the leaves transform into shades of orange, and pumpkin spice cravings fill the air, skywatchers have an additional reason to celebrate. The harvest moon, the final installment of this year’s supermoon series, will illuminate the night sky starting Thursday night.
The harvest moon will take on a pumpkin-like orange and red hue, perfectly complementing the fall atmosphere. However, this color is not unique to the harvest moon as all full moons appear orange, and surprisingly, we have 13 of them each year.
Supermoons are full moons that occur when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit. As a result, they can appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter compared to the smallest-seeming full moon, as confirmed by NASA. This will be the last supermoon until next August.
In July, people all over the world looked up at the night sky to witness the first of this year’s supermoons, known as the Buck Moon.
But what is the significance of the name “harvest moon”? For Indigenous groups in the Northeast, it is also known as the corn moon and traditionally marks the time of year when various summer crops are ready for harvesting. Farmers have long relied on the light provided by September’s full moon to continue their harvest into the late hours of the night.
“It’s close to the full harvest, so it’s a full moon that happens around the time of the fall harvest,” explained Noah Petro, a scientist with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Project at NASA.
While this year’s harvest moon will appear larger and brighter due to its supermoon status, it is simply the full moon closest to the autumn equinox. The autumnal equinox, a time when daylight and darkness are almost equal at all latitudes, signifies the astronomical shift in seasons, bringing relief from the scorching summer temperatures. The harvest moon will rise about a week after the autumn equinox, from Thursday night into Friday morning, reaching its fullest at 5:57 a.m. on Friday.
The beauty of the harvest moon is that it is visible to everyone, regardless of their location. From sunrise to sunset, the moon will shine in all its fullness, creating a magical ambiance.
If you happen to miss the exact moment of the harvest moon, there’s no need to worry. Skywatchers and harvesters alike will still be able to admire a nearly full moon in the days leading up to its peak and the days following, according to NASA ambassador Tony Rice.
“You can go at least a day in either direction, maybe two in each direction, and it’s going to look just as full to most people,” assured Rice.
So, on Thursday night, take a moment to look up and appreciate the splendor of the harvest moon, a celestial masterpiece that marks the changing of seasons and the bountiful harvest to come.