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The Harvest Moon arrives on Wednesday, September 13, 2000.
By Alex Canizares
Special to SPACE.com
posted: 07:00 am ET
13 September 2000
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harvest_moon_000913 WASHINGTON (States News Service) -- This month's full moon may appear red, pink or even orange around sunset Wednesday, due to a low-hanging moonrise known as the " Harvest Moon."The full moon occurring nearest the autumnal equinox was given this name by farmers who benefited from its light as they worked into the night to harvest their crops before the first frost. 
Learn about an interesting lunar illusion at work -- Click here for SPACE.com's article about this trick of perception!
This month's moon also appears larger at the horizon -- a visual trick known as the " moon illusion."During autumn equinox the Harvest Moon's inclination toward Earth's horizon is shallower than during other times of year. While the moon generally rises about 50 minutes later every day throughout the year, it rises about 30 minutes later in the days approaching the September 22 equinox.
The shallow ascent of the Harvest Moon keeps it low to the horizon for longer period than usual. "The angle this time of year at the point where it is rising is very shallow," said Geoff Chester, spokesman for the Naval Observatory. The shorter interval between sunset and moonrise was historically a boon to Northern Hemisphere farmers fielding their crops into the early evening. The phenomena will continue during and after the full-moon phase that will be visible Wednesday. [inset] The color -- which may take on pinks and oranges -- is strictly due to atmospheric conditions, Chester said. "The color of the moon is an atmospheric phenomena and that is highly dependent on local weather conditions," Chester said. "When the moon is low in the sky, you're seeing it through a denser atmosphere." The moon may take up a pink or orange hue due to aerosols in the atmosphere caused by wildfires in North America and dust storms in Africa, according to NASA. Farmers have developed 12 names for the monthly moon-phase cycle, including the Strawberry Moon, the Buck Moon, the Pink Moon and the Blue Moon.
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