The Harvest Moon Effect

With the full moon rising on the evening of the 26th, the 2007 “Harvest Moon” appeared in all it’s glory in the eastern sky, and was visible setting in the western sky on the 27th even after 8.00am.

Tonight’s moon rises a scant 25 minutes after last night’s moon, giving rise to the phrase “Harvest Moon Effect.” Whereas under normal circumstances the moon rises approximately 50 minutes later each night from our location, during this time of year the moon rises in half that time. This is due to the angle of the ecliptic in relation to the horizon. The smaller angle means the moon rises at nearly the same time over successive evenings, giving more moonlight all night.

This effect is slightly less pronounced next month, when the “Hunter’s Moon” will rise on the evening of October 26th. But between now and then, go out and experience the wonder of the pale moonlight bathing your surroundings in its soft, ethereal glow.

September’s Full “Harvest” Moon

When you step outside the evening of the 26th at sunset, you will see quite a site: the beautiful full moon rising in the east.

The full moon for this month is called the Harvest Moon. This is the name given to the full moon nearest the fall (autumnal) equinox. At this time, the bright full moon in the sky allows farmers to work in their fields longer, harvesting the yearly crop.

The full moon only happens when the moon is opposite the sky from the sun, so it rises as the sun sets. The full moon on Wednesday is exactly at 3.45pm EDT. Sunset will be at 7.33pm and the moon will have risen 12 minutes earlier.

On Thursday, we’ll discuss the “effect” the Harvest Moon has. Until then, even if you don’t have anything to harvest, step outside tomorrow night and enjoy the visual harvest of the full moon.

“Falling” into a new Season

Did you know that when you went to bed last night it was summer, and when you got up this morning it summer was over? Well it’s true. Welcome to Fall, or the “Autumnal Equinox.”

This year Fall arrived at 5.51am EDT. At that time, the sun was directly over the celestial equator, halfway between it’s travels from the summer solstice in June to the winter solstice in December.

The term “Equinox” means “equal night” (from the Latin). In theory, on the equinoxes you have equal amounts of day and night, but it actually varies because of a few factors, some of which being the orbit of the earth, the way the atmosphere bends light (refraction), and your actual position on the earth. But the common understanding is that we have equal amounts of daylight and nighttime on this date.

Because of it’s position in the sky, at this time of year there is a concern about the sun. Nothing serious, but it is a problem for individuals who happen to be driving in the early morning and late evening. Since the sun’s position in our sky is over the equator, when it rises and sets it is directly east or west. That means if you happen to be driving east in the early morning, or west in the evening, you’re going to be staring right into the sun. Please take care while driving, and remember, never stare directly at the sun.

So go out and experience the new season, and get ready for the fall harvest, changing leaves, pumpkins, and crisp clear fall nights.