HISTORIC TRIANGLE — A Harvest Moon will shine starting Tuesday, Sept. 17 reaching peak illumination at 10:34 p.m. in the Historic Triangle.
A Harvest Moon refers to the full, bright Moon that occurs closest to the start of autumn according to NASA.
Farmer’s Almanac states the one thing that sets the Harvest Moon apart from other full moon names is that it’s not associated with a specific month, as the others are. Instead, the Harvest Moon relates to the timing of the autumnal equinox, with the full Moon that occurs nearest to the equinox being the one to take on the name “Harvest Moon.”
This means that the Harvest Moon can occur in September or October, depending on how the lunar cycle aligns with the Gregorian calendar.
During an equinox, the sun crosses what we call the “celestial equator” — an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator line into space. The equinox occurs precisely when the sun’s center passes through this line.
