Shine On Harvest Moon

photo of full moon
Harvest Moon

Unlike other moons through the year, the Harvest Moon doesn’t always occur in a certain month but is the full moon nearest the Autumnal Equinox, whether before or after, even in October, called such because the extra light was welcome during harvest time in typically dry autumn conditions, perfect for harvesting fields of grain. In addition to the extra light, the moon also rises at nearly the same time every night. The moon usually rises about 50 minutes later each night, but because of the physics of the moon, sun and earth the moon rises are only about 20 minutes apart, always in the early evening so the extra light to harvest by is right after sunset and farmers could just keep working until the moon went below the horizon. Read an article in today’s Farmer’s Almanac and National Geographic for more information on the Harvest Moon.

This moon is from 2010—we are a little overcast near the horizon this evening but three years ago we were clear from edge to edge and I got the best moon photo I’ve ever gotten.

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