Harvest Moon

The definition of Harvest Moon is: the full moon closest to the fall equinox. The Harvest Moon was thus named because it rises within a half-hour of when the sun sets. In early days, when farmers had no tractors, it was essential that they work by the light of the moon to bring in the harvest. This moon is the fullest moon of the year. When you gaze at it, it looks very large and gives a lot of light throughout the entire night. No other lunar spectacle is as awesome as the Harvest Moon.

The Harvest Moon usually appears in the month of September. However, on occasion, it appears as a full moon early in October. This is the case this year, when the full moon closest to the autumn equinox will appear in the night sky on Oct. 2.



The Harvest Moon, when it falls in September, is also known as the "Fruit Moon." When it falls in October, it is sometimes called the "Hunter’s Moon." This is because October is the month when large animals, such a deer and moose are hunted for the winter’s meat supply. If taken before that time, it is said that the meat will taste wild or "strong." Hunting animals before the "Hunter’s Moon," also interferes with the rut.

The Harvest Moon rises as the sun sets. This occurs only in the Northern Hemisphere. This early rising and extra light allowed farmers to work long into the night in order to bring in the year’s harvest. In the Southern Hemisphere, the exact opposite occurs. There is a longer period of time between sunset and the rising of the moon. The south does not require the extra time to harvest the crops. In the north, if the crops are not taken in, they will be destroyed by frost, which can hit anytime during September or October. It is usually safe to assume there will be no frost, or only a light frost, before the Harvest Moon.

The Harvest Moon always hangs low in the sky. It seems to be larger and more beautiful than other full moons and often has an orange or pink cast. The reason for this is African dust storms and North American wildfires, which have filled the atmosphere with aerosols.

The human eye sees a low hanging moon as being larger than one that rides high in the sky. This is known as a “Moon Illusion,” because, in reality, the moon is always the same size.

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