Look Up: The Full Harvest Moon Will Appear in the Sky Tonight

Jennifer Aldrich
·2 min read

It's going to be an exciting week for astrology enthusiasts. The autumnal equinox takes place on Wednesday, September 22, signaling the beginning of fall. (Sorry, summer lovers; it's time to admire the beautiful fall foliage and to enjoy a few pumpkin spice lattes.) But before the new season officially arrives, there's another celestial event. Tonight, you can view the September full moon, often called the Harvest Moon.

The last full moon of the summer will appear on Monday, September 20. According to the Farmers' Almanac ($8, Amazon), the best time to see the moon is at 7:55 EST. For those living in the Midwest and on the West Coast, it's probably going to be too light out to see the moon at that time. But don't worry; the Harvest Moon will shine big and bright all night long for you to see.

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This month's full moon is a bit more unique than the others that occur throughout the year. The term Harvest Moon is given to the full moon, either in September or October, that is closer to the autumnal equinox. The harvest moon rises at about the same time for several evenings in a row, which gives farmers some extra brightness at night to finish harvesting their crops before the winter. Hence, the meaning behind the name.

There are other titles for the September full moon that are aptly named, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. A handful of Native American tribes call the September full moon the Corn Moon. The Cree refer to it as the Autumn Moon, the Ojibwe say it's the Falling Leaves Moon, the Anishinaabe named it the Leaves Turning Moon, the Lakota call it the Moon of Brown Leaves, and the Assiniboine note that it's the Yellow Leaf Moon.

You don't need any special equipment to view the Harvest Moon; you'll be able to see it with the naked eye. But, to get a closer view (and maybe check out some of the moon's crater-covered surface), consider purchasing a telescope, such as the Professional Refractive Astronomical Telescope ($70, Walmart), to see this celestial event unfold.