{"id":63830,"date":"2024-09-16T07:51:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T07:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/52cc56b7-bd9e-4fa0-a8bf-271376d60e92"},"modified":"2024-09-16T08:42:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T08:42:10","slug":"what-the-harvest-moon-is-and-tips-and-techniques-to-help-you-make-the-most-of-this-weeks-spectacle","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/what-the-harvest-moon-is-and-tips-and-techniques-to-help-you-make-the-most-of-this-weeks-spectacle\/","title":{"rendered":"What the Harvest Moon is and tips and techniques to help you make the most of this week’s spectacle"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is a Harvest Moon, and and are they really worth the hype? <\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 16 September 2024 at 07:51 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Harvest Moon is the name given to the full Moon closest in date to the first day of autumn, known as the autumn equinox<\/a>.<\/p>

The autumn equinox is when day and night are the same length.<\/p>

The last Harvest Moon occurred on 29 September 2023<\/a> and the next occurs this week on 18 September 2024, rising at 19:28 BST (18:28 UTC).<\/p>

The 2024 Harvest Moon will also be a supermoon<\/a><\/strong>, and the second of 4 supermoons in a row at the end of 2024.<\/p>

A glowing orange full Harvest Moon rising. Credit: Ray Wise \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>
What’s more, the 18 September full Harvest Moon will also undergo a partial lunar eclipse<\/a>.<\/p>
Find out how to see the Harvest Moon, heralding the return of autumn, and find out when the next full Moon<\/a> is visible.<\/p>
If you want to capture the event, read our guide on how to photograph the Harvest Moon<\/a>.<\/p>
$\"A$
A Harvest Moon rising over a field. Credit: Jasmin Merdan \/ Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Origins of the name<\/strong><\/h2>
A Harvest Moon\u2019s proximity to the September equinox means that the rise times for the near-to-full phases of the Moon are nearly the same on the days before and after.<\/p>
So, the Harvest Moon is so-called because the difference in rise times from one evening to the next after this date is the smallest for the year.<\/p>
This means the bright, fuller phases of the Moon appear at approximately similar times, lighting the way to collect the harvest.<\/p>
Indeed, it was the abundance of bright early-evening moonlight on those consecutive days that traditionally lit the fields for collecting the harvest.<\/p>
**Measure the Harvest Moon<\/strong><\/h2>** $\"Harvest$
Harvest Moon rising above storm clouds, western Colorado, USA. Credit: Doug Meek<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A good exercise is to note the rise time of the Moon on in the days before and after the Harvest Moon, calculating the differences.<\/p>
Waiting for the fuller phases of the Moon to rise is a great way to experience the visual effect of the Moon illusion<\/a>, which makes these phases appear enormous when close to the horizon.<\/p>
You can also observe the next full Moon after the Harvest Moon and you should see a similar pattern in rise times for its fuller phases.<\/p>
The period close to the March equinox represents the opposite situation, with the difference between successive moonrises for the fuller phases of the Moon being the largest of the year.<\/p>
A good experiment during the Harvest Moon is to make a note of the rise times for the Moon from the date of the full Moon onwards (find them at **www.timeanddate.com\/moon<\/b><\/a>) and calculate the difference.<\/p>**
**Try to remember to do this next March too, when the difference is greatest.<\/p>**
**$\"Harvest$** Credit: Jim Kruger \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Is a Harvest Moon bigger?<\/strong><\/h2>
Some believe the Harvest Moon is much bigger or brighter than other full Moons in the year. This isn\u2019t true though.<\/p>
This belief may have come about due to a complex optical illusion that makes the Moon look bigger when it\u2019s lower down near the horizon.<\/p>
Observing tips<\/strong><\/h2>
Around the time of year that the Harvest Moon appears, the Sun goes down almost due west, so the full Moon will be rising near to due east.<\/p>
As the Moon rises, see if it has a wonderful ochre red colour, especially when it\u2019s low on the horizon.<\/p>
$\"Orange$
Orange full Moon. Credit: Ambre Haller \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This is an effect of the Moon\u2019s light being filtered, as it travels through more of the Earth\u2019s atmosphere than when it\u2019s overhead.<\/p>
Since red light is scattered least by the Earth\u2019s atmosphere, the Moon takes on this lovely red colour.<\/p>
You may have heard news of a recent study that found the Moon is rusting<\/a>, but this isn’t why it appears orange.<\/p>
Find out more about this in our guide on why the Moon sometimes looks orange<\/a>.<\/p>
The lower and less built-up your horizon, the better your chance of seeing the Harvest Moon rising in all of its glory \u2013 a fantastic sight that heralds the start of autumn.<\/p>
Pictures<\/strong><\/h2>
Below is a selection of images of Harvest Moons captured by *BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/em> readers and astrophotographers.<\/p>*
*If you manage to capture an amazing image of the Moon, don’t forget to* *send us your images<\/a> or share them with us via Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>*
$\"Harvest$
Harvest Moon in Mineral Colours, captured by Soumyadeep Mukherjee, Kolkata, India, 29 September 2023, 02:30 AM IST. Equipment: Nikon D5600 DLSR camera, Sigma 150-600c lens, Leofoto Tripod. Processing: PIPP, AS3, Adobe Camera Raw, Photoshop. Exif: 1\/400s, ISO 250, f\/6.3, 600mm, Stack of 300 images<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"\u2069Supermoon$
\u2069Supermoon over western Finland, 2022. Credit: Milamai \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Harvest$
Harvest Moon Stuart Green, Preston, 1 October 2020Equipment: Nikon D5500 DSLR, Tecnosky 125mm f7.8 apo refractor<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Harvest$
Harvest Moon, 5th October 2017, by Kevin Jackson, Southport, UK. Equipment: Altair Astro Starwave 102ED-R, Altair Hypercam IMX178C, CCDT67 Telecompressor, Moon Filter, HEQ3-2 Mount.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Harvest$
Harvest Moon, 5th October 2017, by Kevin Jackson, Southport, UK. Equipment: Altair Astro Starwave 102ED-R, Altair Hypercam IMX178C, Astro-Physics CCDT67, SkyWatcher HEQ3-2 (Powered)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Harvest$
Harvest Moon Rising over Mount Teide, Tenerife by Peter Louer, Tenerife. Equipment: Canon 700D, Canon 100-400mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Crich$
Harvest Moon by Matt Jarvis, Crich, Derbyshire, UK. Equipment: Canon PowerShot SXHS60 bridge camera.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Harvest$
Harvest Supermoon by Michael LaMonaco, Kenilworth, NJ, USA. Equipment: Canon 60Da, 75-300mm Lens<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Harvest$
Harvest Moon Minus Three Days by Adam Pettifer, Epsom, Surrey, UK. Equipment: SkyWatcher 130p, EQ-2 mount, iPhone 4 camera.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Harvest$
Harvest Moon by Tom Howard, Crawley, Sussex, UK. Equipment: Nikon D7000, TS 65mm quadruplet refractor, AZ4 mount.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Harvest$
Harvest Moon by Alan Kennedy, Ferryhill, Co. Durham, UK. Equipment: 8″ SCT, 6.3 reducer, Philips spc880nc webcam<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Measure the Harvest Moon<\/strong><\/h2>Harvest Moon rising above storm clouds, western Colorado, USA. Credit: Doug Meek<\/figcaption><\/figure>A good exercise is to note the rise time of the Moon on in the days before and after the Harvest Moon, calculating the differences.<\/p>