Full Moon This Weekend...

Another full Moon falls upon the Weekend:

 

http://www.earthsky.org/tonighthome/2009-10-02/what-is-a-harvest-moon

 

http://www.innerself.com/Astrology/full_moon.htm

 

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/091002-harvest-moon.html

  

 

Earthsky Tonight - Oct 02 2009

When we will see the Harvest Moon in 2009?

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Tonight is OCT 02, 2009

Courtesy U.S. Naval Observatory

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Waters asked, When will we see the Harvest Moon in 2009?

The answer is that, over the years, we've seen lots of informal uses of the term Harvest Moon. Some people will call all the full moons of autumn by that name. But to astronomers this name means something very specific. To astronomers, the Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the September equinox.

In 2009, this equinox takes place on September 22. The closest full moon to the autumn equinox reaches the crest of its full phase on October 4 at 6:10 Universal Time. That means the moon appears most full to us in the continental U.S. in the middle of the night of October 3-4. So, although you might see different dates for this years Harvest Moon (either October 3 or October 4), the true Harvest Moon falls closer to Saturday night than Sunday night.

What's so special about a Harvest Moon? On autumn evenings, the ecliptic – or path of the sun, moon, and planets – makes a narrow angle with the horizon. Every full moon rises around the time of sunset, and – on average – each successive moonrise comes about 50 minutes after the one the day before. But, on autumn evenings, the narrow angle of the ecliptic to the horizon causes a shorter time between successive moonrises. So, instead of rising 50 minutes after sunset the day after full moon, the moon might rise only 30 minutes, or less, after sunset.

That fact doesn't seem earthshaking to us. But it was important to people in earlier times. For farmers bringing in the harvest, before the days of tractor lights, it meant there was no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise for several days after full moon. And that meant farmers could work on in the fields, bringing in the crops by moonlight. Hence the name Harvest Moon.

Related:

What's special about the Harvest Moon of October 3, 2009?

Written by Deborah Byrd

 

I thought the September Moon was "The Harvest Moon" and this one "The Hunters Moon" confusing?

 

Its the full Moon closest to the Aumnal Equinox-I should have remembered

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Astrocomet
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Colin James Watling
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Lat' 52.418056N Long' 1.719722E (Chimney Pot)
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Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
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