Harvest Moon
Harvest Moon
by moonman on Aug.25, 2013, under Harvest Moon
The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox.
Harvest Moon is just a name. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Harvest Moon sometimes falls in September and sometimes falls in October.
On average, the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day. But when a full moon happens close to the autumnal equinox, the moon (at mid-temperate latitudes) rises only about 30 to 35 minutes later daily for several days before and after the full Harvest moon.
These early evening moonrises are what make every Harvest Moon special. Every full moon rises around sunset. After the full Harvest Moon, you’ll see the moon ascending in the east relatively soon after sunset for a few days in a row at northerly latitudes. The lag time between successive moonrises shrinks to a yearly minimum, as described in the paragraph above. Because of this, it seems as if there are several full moons – for a few nights in a row – around the time of the Harvest Moon.