Photo Credit: Public Domain

With the autumn equinox upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere, the moon is waxing towards the full Harvest Moon. A Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox. Depending on your time zone, the autumn equinox for the Northern Hemisphere comes on September 22 or 23, in conjunction with the Harvest Moon on the night of September 24. Harvest Moons occur for most years in September; however, around every three years, it occurs in October.

In the days past, when the moonrise came soon after sunset during harvest time the bright moonlight gave farmers extra time to work. For this reason, the term Harvest Moon came about. Occurring at moonrise, the Harvest Moon appears bigger and brighter and has a golden-yellow glow. This is a physical effect called Moon Illusion, caused by looking at the moonrise through a greater amount of atmosphere than when the moon is overhead.

You can bet on that the Urban Gardening’s Veggie-Bed gang will have all eyes turn to this year’s Harvest Moon.

Writer: Tom Myrick