Harvest Moon Makes Rare Show in October

One of the first signs of fall people look forward to is the Harvest Moon.  The full moon that usually occurs closest to the first day of fall has always made lovers of autumn excited, but this year’s Harvest Moon is special.

The Harvest Moon gets its name for the bright light that it produces, making harvesting at night easier before the invention of artificial lights.  Also, the moon rises at or around sunset, against the well lit horizon it appears larger.  The lighting makes the moon appear orange in color, looking like a large pumpkin in the sky, and matching the changing leaves along the horizon from which it rises.

Also, this year’s Harvest Moon is occurring later in the year than usual.  The phenomenon, that usually happens in late September, is happening October 5th.  The lunar cycle follows a strict 28 day pattern, putting it out of sync with our traditional 30 and 31 day cycle.  This will make the full moons appear at odd times of the year, much like the current Harvest Moon.

Stargazers will be looking toward the horizon this year for the rare celestial event, that won’t be seen for almost another year.