What’s special about a Harvest Moon? As seen across Earth, the moon on average rises about 50 minutes later each day, as it orbits Earth. But in mid-to-late September – for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere – that moonrise time drops to 20 minutes later each day around the time of full moon. The higher the latitude, the shorter the interval between successive moonrises.
When and where to look: As seen from around the globe, look for the bright, round full super moon rising in the east at sunset on September 17-18. It will glow highest in the sky near midnight, and drop low in the west before sunrise on September 18. This is the full moon closest to the equinox and so we call it a Harvest Moon.
Photo credit: earthsky.org
