The Full Moon of Tuesday, Sept. 28 also carries the title of the Harvest Moon for those living in the Northern Hemisphere. The Moon officially turns full when it reaches that spot in the sky opposite (180º) to the Sun.
This moment will occur Tuesday at 13:08 Greenwich Time (9:08 a.m. EDT or 6:08 a.m. PDT).
The Harvest Moon Moon is the one that comes the closest
to the September equinox,
so this year it falls in September, although in one out of three years this
title can be bestowed upon the October Full Moon. The 2004 version of the Harvest
Moon comes relatively close to the equinox -- slightly less than five days after
it -- although it can occur as early as Sept. 8 (as in 1976) or as late as Oct.
7 (as in 1987).
Why it is special
Many think the Harvest Moon remains in the night sky longer than any of the
other Full Moons we see during the year, but that is not so.
What sets Tuesday's Full Moon apart from the others is that farmers at the
climax of the current harvest season can work late into the night by the Moon's
light. It rises about the time the Sun sets, but more importantly, at this time
of year, instead of rising its normal average 50 minutes later each day, the
Moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night.
In actuality, for those living at mid-northern latitudes, the rising of the Moon comes, on average, roughly 25 minutes later each night. The night-to-night difference is greatest for more southerly locations, while the difference is less than the average at more northerly locations.
The reason for this seasonal circumstance is that the Moon appears to move along the ecliptic, and at this time of year when rising, the ecliptic makes its smallest angle with respect to the horizon for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.
In contrast, for those living in the Southern Hemisphere, the ecliptic at this
time of year appears to stand almost perpendicular (at nearly a right angle)
to the eastern horizon. As such, the difference for the time of moonrise exceeds
the average of 50 minutes per night.
Dress rehearsal for an eclipse
The next full Moon on the calendar, after this month's Harvest Moon, comes
on the night of Oct. 27-28. There will be a bonus that night: A total eclipse
of the Moon.
For viewers in most of the Americas, this shady drama will happen in the early-to-mid
evening hours of Wednesday, Oct. 27. Along the West Coast the eclipse gets underway
at dusk, only minutes after the Sun has set and as the Moon is rising. The eclipse
will also be visible from Europe, but from there it will occur in the hours
before dawn breaks on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 28.
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Philip Harrington, author and photographer, captured this view
of a full Moon. Read excerpts from his books here.
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It is not too early to begin making preparations for viewing the eclipse.
One of things to consider is the Moon's location in the sky during the eclipse.
For those who live along the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada this will be
an important factor, since initially the eclipse will be rather low in the east-northeast
sky. Will tall trees or nearby buildings block your view of the Moon?
You can get a very good idea about where the Moon will be in the sky during
the eclipse by looking for it on the night of Sept. 30-Oct. 1.
During that Thursday night and early Friday morning, the Moon - 2½ days past
full - will be very near (within a couple of degrees) to the region of the sky
where it will also be on the night of Oct. 27-28 during the eclipse.
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Detailed look
This table gives times for when the Moon, on Sept. 30-Oct. 1, will appear
in the sky very close to where it will be during the actual eclipse on
October 27-28:
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EDT |
CDT |
MDT |
PDT
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Eclipse begins
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11:18 p.m.
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10:18 p.m.
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9:18 p.m.
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8:18 p.m.
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Totality begins
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12:27 a.m.
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11:27 p.m.
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10:27 p.m.
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9:27 p.m.
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Totality ends
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1:48 a.m.
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12:48 a.m.
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11:48 p.m.
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10:48 p.m.
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Eclipse ends
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2:57 a.m.
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1:57 a.m.
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12:57 a.m.
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11:57 p.m.
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Times in italics are for the after midnight hours on the calendar date
of Oct. 1. For example: on Oct. 27, for an observer in New York, the total
phase of the eclipse will begin at 10:23 p.m. At that moment, the Moon
will stand 49º above the southeast horizon. Now, look at the above table.
Notice that the corresponding time for the beginning of the total phase
is 12:27 a.m. on Oct. 1. Step outside at that moment and you'll be able
to get a fairly good approximation of where the Moon will be for New Yorkers
on Oct. 27 when totality begins.
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Astronomy
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Joe Rao
serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium.
He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and
he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News
12 Westchester, New York.
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