Also known as a supermoon, the September Harvest Moon will appear larger and brighter than average (although the difference is actually very subtle).<\/p>
Here, we’ll look at 6 ways to observe and enjoy this week’s Harvest Moon (or any full Moon for that matter).<\/p>
Read our guides on the 29 September Harvest Moon<\/a> and how to see Jupiter and Saturn join the Harvest Moon<\/a> this week.<\/em><\/strong><\/p> And for more advice, read our complete guide to observing the Moon with the naked eye or a telescope<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> If you don’t have a telescope, you might at least have a pair of binoculars in the house collecting dust.<\/p> Give them a good clean and get them ready for the full Moon.<\/p> Many astronomers will tell you a full Moon is not a great time to observe our celestial neighbour with magnification.<\/p> And to an extent, that’s true.<\/p> The best times to observe the Moon are during the crescent Moon<\/a> and gibbous Moon<\/a> phases, when the terminator<\/a> (the line dividing the lit and unlit side of the Moon) throws shadows on the surface, highlighting surface features.<\/p> But if you’ve never considered pointing your binoculars at the night sky before, tonight is a great opportunity to give it a go.<\/p> You may find yourself returning again and again, using your binoculars to track features on the Moon.<\/p> Keep observing the Moon over the coming days, as the waning phases will provide interesting shadows to spot on the surface.<\/p> Read our full Moon guide<\/a> for advice on what to see.<\/p> If you do fall in love with observing the Moon, read our guide to the best features to observe on the Moon<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p> Have you ever noticed that a full Moon that’s low in the sky and close to the horizon looks huge?<\/p> You’re not alone. This is a well-documented phenomenon, but in fact it’s an illusion.<\/p> No-one quite knows what causes the Moon illusion<\/a>.<\/p> It could be a result of the Moon’s position on the celestial sphere making it seem bigger, as shown in the diagram above.<\/p> Or perhaps the fact that a low Moon is accompanied by foreground objects like trees and buildings makes it seem so much bigger.<\/p> Observe the Harvest Moon as it rises at around 19:00 BST (UTC 1), making sure you have a clear horizon.<\/p> Does it look much bigger than expected?<\/p> Hold your arm outstretched and see how you can comfortably cover the Moon with your thumb, thus breaking the illusion.<\/p> A DSLR camera is a great way of photographing the Moon, and is a great project to undertake during a bright supermoon.<\/p> For advice on equipment and tips and techniques, read our complete guide on how to photograph the Moon<\/a><\/em><\/strong> and how to photograph the Harvest Moon<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p> If you don’t have a DSLR camera and other necessary equipment, fear not.<\/p> It is possible to photograph the Harvest Moon with your smartphone camera.<\/p> In our guide, we go through how you can avoid an over-exposed, washed out bright full Moon<\/p> And tips on pointing your phone down your telescope’s eyepiece for a better view.<\/p> Find out more in our guide how photograph the Moon with your smartphone camera<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p> If you don’t have a camera to hand, sketching the Moon is a great way to record what you can see on the surface.<\/p> Again, you’ll be able to get a more dramatic lunar view during a crescent or gibbous phase of the Moon, as that terminator will make things a bit more interesting.<\/p> But nevertheless, having a go at sketching the supermoon and honing in on some of the details is a great way to start your journey into lunar sketching.<\/p> Head out again over the coming weeks and begin to build up a catalogue of lunar drawings, showing the phases changing over time.<\/p> This is a great way to enjoy the Harvest Moon, but is also a low-cost and artistic way to savour our lunar companion whenever it’s visible in the night sky.<\/p> Find out more in our guide on how to draw the Moon<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p> Ray ejecta systems are one type of lunar feature that can be seen well during a full Moon, and this is a great way to enjoy the Harvest Moon.<\/p> They also make great lunar targets for photographing.<\/p> Ray ejecta systems look like bright streaks stretching out from some of the Moon’s craters<\/p> Tycho crater (above) is perhaps the most famous.<\/p> These features are lunar material thrown out onto the surface during impacts throughout the Moon’s history.<\/p> For more info on this, read our guide to lunar ray ejecta systems<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>6 ways to enjoy Harvest Moon<\/strong> tonight<\/h2>
Observe the Harvest Moon with binoculars<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"astronomy](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2021\/11\/astronomy-binoculars-58f8898-e1663230403333.jpg?quality=90&lb=1500,1065&background=white\" "\\"astronomy")
<\/figure><\/div>Observe the Moon illusion<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2022\/02\/Moon-illusion-diagram-db1e57e.jpg?quality=90&lb=1200,677&background=white\" "\\"Moon")
<\/figure><\/div>Photograph the Moon with a DSLR camera<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"Supermoon](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2020\/06\/03.LuisRojas_Supermoon-abfb500.jpg\")
Photograph the Moon with a smartphone<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"Silhouette](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/02\/GettyImages-1386199272-85b4922.jpg\")
Sketch the Moon<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"One](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2019\/09\/Dee-2007-Moon-Drawing-81e2556.jpg?quality=90&lb=1500,1240&background=white\")
Observe the Moon’s ray-ejecta systems<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"Tycho](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2021\/01\/02.SteveFox_TychoCrater-9b27980.jpg?quality=90&lb=978,720&background=white\")