The Harvest Moon is the full moon that appears nearest to the autumnal equinox, which occurs on or about 23 September. This moon is also known as the Wine Moon, the Singing Moon and the Elk Call Moon.
About once every four years it occurs in October, depending on the
cycles of the moon. Currently, the latest the Harvest Moon can occur is
on October 7 or 8. Between 1900 and 2050 the Harvest Moon fell or will
fall on October 7 in 1930, 1949, 1987 and 2025 and on October 8 in 1911.
The appearance of the Harvest Moon begins the first of the harvesting months in the Northern Hemisphere. Many cultures celebrate the harvests with gatherings, festivals, and rituals that are intricately attuned to the Harvest Moon.
At this time, the moon rises at a point which is opposite to the sun, and is situated close to the eastern point of the horizon.
It is claimed by some that the harvest moon seems to be somehow
"larger" than other full moons. The human eye sees a low hanging moon
as being larger than one that rides high in the sky. This is known as a
Moon illusion, because the image of the moon in the sky is always the same size. A similar type of lunar effect is seen at the time of the spring equinox, which occurs on or about 21 March.
The harvest moon gets its name from the fact that farmers who were
harvesting their crops at this time of year were able to use the extra
light of the harvest moon to continue the work in the fields. In
October, the full moon for that month can exhibit a similar effect, and
is called the hunter's moon.
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