Watch Out for the Harvest Moon   
       
   Sept. 16, 2013:  According to folklore, every full Moon has a special name.   
   There's the Wolf Moon, the Snow Moon, the Worm Moon,  the Sprouting Grass   
   Moon,  the Flower Moon,  the Strawberry Moon, the Thunder Moon,  the Sturgeon   
   Moon, the Harvest Moon, the Hunter's Moon, the Beaver Moon, and the Long   
   Night's Moon. Each name tells us something about the season or month in which   
   the full Moon appears.   
       
   This month's full Moon is the Harvest Moon.   
       
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5GauJNCRJ4   
       
   Harvest Moon   
   A new ScienceCast video explores the facts and folklore of the Harvest Moon.   
   Play it   
       
   The Harvest Moon is the full Moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox,   
   the beginning of northern autumn.  In 2013 the Moon is full on Sept. 19th (the   
   night of Sept. 18-19 in North America)  while the equinox follows close behind   
   on Sept. 22nd.  The coincidence sets the stage for a nice display of Harvest   
   moonlight.   
       
   In the days before light bulbs, farmers relied on moonlight to help them   
   harvest their crops.  Many crops ripen all at once in late summer and early   
   autumn, so farmers found themselves extremely busy at this time of year. They   
   had to work after sundown.  Moonlight became an essential part of farming and,   
   so, the Harvest Moon was born.   
       
   Auroras Underfoot (signup)There's more to the Harvest Moon, however, than just   
   an old-fashioned name.  It really is special.   
       
   Throughout the year the Moon rises, on average, about 50 minutes later each   
   day. But near the autumnal equinox, this difference shrinks to only 30   
   minutes. The reason is, at the beginning of autumn the moon's orbital path   
   makes a narrow angle with the evening horizon.   
       
   To a non-astronomer, that might sound like celestial trivia.  But to sky   
   watchers it makes a huge difference. For several nights in a row around the   
   time of the Harvest Moon, the moon rises at about the same time--sunset. And   
   you know what happens when the moon rises at sunset....   
       
   Low-hanging moons are reddened by clouds and dust.  Not only that, they are   
   swollen to outlandish size by the Moon illusion, a well-known but still   
   mysterious trick of the eye that makes low-hanging Moons seem much larger than   
   they really are.   
       
   When you add these effects together the Harvest Moon often looks like a great   
   pumpkin.  The experience is repeated for several nights in a row around the   
   equinox.   
       
   A great pumpkin-colored Moon rising in the east is a nice way to kick off   
   northern autumn. And it's a nice way to end the day.  At sundown on Sept.   
   18th, go outside, face east, and enjoy the Harvest Moon..   
       
   Credits:   
       
    Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit:   
   Science@NASA   
       
   Related Links:   
       
   Moon Phase Calendar  -- US Naval Observatory   
       
   Equinoxes and Solstices  -- US Naval Observatory   
       
       
   Regards,   
       
   Roger   
      
   --- D'Bridge 3.94   
    * Origin: NCS BBS - Houma, LoUiSiAna (1:3828/7)