A beautiful “harvest” full moon will rise in the eastern sky Friday evening.
The harvest moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, which this year comes next Thursday Sept. 22. It’s different from other full moons because it rises at roughly the same time for several nights running, giving more light.
Though the exact moment at which the moon is officially full is 3:05 p.m. ET Friday, it will still appear plenty full overnight Friday and for the next couple of nights as well.
Why the “harvest” moon nickname? “In the days before tractors with headlights, having moonlight to work by was crucial to getting the harvest in quickly before rain caused it to rot,” according to Alan MacRobert, an editor at Sky & Telescope magazine.
The harvest moon was also the subject of this pop standard from the early 1900s:
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SOURCE: USA Today, Doyle Rice
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