Don’t miss the Harvest Moon. Here’s when Lexington stargazers should look to the skies
A fan-favorite full moon will peak this weekend, and you won’t need to stay up too late to catch the best views.
The “Harvest Moon” refers to the full moon that occurs closest to the fall equinox, which is Sept. 22 this year.
“The harvest moon gets its name from agriculture. In the days before electric lights, farmers depended on bright moonlight to extend the workday beyond sunset,” NASA’s website reads. “It was the only way they could gather their ripening crops in time for market.”
The first known use of this term in the English language was recorded in 1706, according to NASA. This moon is also called the Corn Moon, according to The Maine Farmers’ Almanac.
What else is the moon called?
Indigenous Algonquin peoples (from what is now the northeastern U.S.) gave the September full moon the title of “Corn Moon” as it happened during harvest season for corn, pumpkins, squash, beans and wild rice.
NASA lists several alternative names for the moon, including:
Fruit
Barley
Mid-Autumn
Mooncake
Reunion Festival
Chuseok Festival Moon
Imomeigetsu
Potato Harvest
The start of Pitru Paksha
Honey-offering Festival
GRAIL
LADEE
When’s the best time to see the Harvest Moon in Lexington?
This year’s harvest moon will peak Sept. 10, though it’ll likely appear full to the human eye for a couple days before and after the date.
The best time to look east for the Harvest Moon is at moonrise, which will be around 8:26 p.m. in Lexington-Fayette Saturday.
You don’t need a telescope to see the Harvest Moon, and unlike recent meteor showers and other astronomical events, you won’t have to stay up particularly late or wake up early to catch a glimpse.
You can typically get a nice view at moonrise because it creates a “moon illusion,” Forbes reported. This is when the full moon appears larger than it actually is because you can see it on the horizon, potentially surrounded by trees and buildings.
Lexington is home to more than 100 public parks, and you can use this tool to find one near you for stargazing.
More upcoming celestial events
Sept. 14 to 15 will be the shortest solar day of the year, according to NASA. The day will last only 23 hours, 59 minutes and 38.6 seconds.
Sept. 22 marks the Autumnal Equinox, “the astronomical end of summer and the start of fall,” NASA says. The sun will shift from the Northern to Southern Hemisphere.
The next full moon after the Harvest Moon will be Oct. 9 at 4:55 p.m.
Have a favorite public stargazing spot in Lexington? Email mhoward@bnd.com with the location.
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