Great news for all the stargazers out there!
A ‘harvest moon’ is rolling into town and hitting up New York skies. The moon is reaching its peak fullness on Saturday, September 10th at 5:58am EDT, for an incredibly bright and stunning phenomenon signaling the end of summer.
According to experts, the best time to catch it is between when the sun sets at 7:13 p.m. EDT and when the full moon rises at 7:45 p.m. EDT, but just remember to look up to the skies any time after dark for a glimpse (it’s completely clear tonight!).
So, lovers of space and stars, prepare your outdoor chairs because the first full moon of autumn is going to be a sight to behold.
According to NASA, the name ‘harvest moon’ is an old European name that came about as far back as 1706, when Maine Farmers Almanac published older native-American names for full moons.
The Harvest Moon is an old European name with the Oxford English Dictionary giving 1706 as the year of its first published use. Most years the Harvest Moon falls in September like this one, but in years past it has even occurred in October, such as last years.
“According to this almanac, as the full Moon in September – the Algonquin tribes in what is now the northeastern U.S. called this the Corn Moon, as this was the time for gathering their [late summer] main staple crops of corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice.”
So, set your alarms and take in the stunning moon while you can! You should be able to get a first glimpse of it after sunset on Friday, September 9th.