COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The Harvest Moon is the title given to the full Moon nearest to the autumnal equinox or the start of fall. Some would say it signifies the change of seasons from Summer to Fall.
Normally, the Harvest Moon would coincide with the September Full Moonor the Full Corn Moon, but this year’s Harvest Moon will be a little different.
Instead of falling on a day in September, the 2017 Harvest Moon will rise on Oct. 5 at 2:40 p.m. and coincide with the October Full Moon, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
September’s full Moon rose on September 6 and October’s full moon is set to rise on October 5. Since the start of the Fall season fell on Sept. 22 the October Full Moon will take the title.
It’s called the Harvest Moon because it is the Moon that provides the most light soon after sunset.
"For several evenings, the moonrise comes soon after sunset," says The Old Farmer's Almanac. "This results in an abundance of bright moonlight early in the evening, which was a traditional aide to farmers and crews harvesting their summer-grown crops. Hence, it's called the 'Harvest Moon!'"
Last year’s Harvest Moon was also a Supermoon since it was so close to Earth. Because the moon’s orbit around Earth isn’t a perfect circle, the distance of the Harvest Moon is a bit different every year.
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