There are only a few chances this year to see the beauty of the supermoon at its peak! Don’t miss the chance. Know when and how to watch the ‘Harvest Moon’.
The beauty of the night sky is at its peak and it has been for the past two days. It’s September’s supermoon—popularly called the Harvest Moon—that graces the night sky this weekend. A supermoon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth. The moon does not have a circular orbit, instead the moon revolves around the earth in an ellipse, an oval that brings it closer to the earth at some point as it orbits. This current full moon was at its peak on Saturday, September 10. If you missed the chance last night, there’s still a chance to catch this month’s brightest supermoon today. Here’s when and how to catch the mesmerizing view of ‘Harvest Moon’ today.
When and how can you watch Supermoon today
Skywatchers can catch a glimpse of the full moon right after sunset. This is the best time because the moon will rise close to the horizon and appear slightly larger than when it is high in the sky. You can view the supermoon with the naked eye. But to get a better view, consider basic telescopes like Celestron Astro Fi 102.
If you miss this opportunity to view this month’s supermoon, know that the next full moon will be the Hunter’s Moon and will fall on October 9.
Why this full moon is called the ‘harvest moon’
According to NASA, the term “harvest moon” has been used to describe the full moon in September since at least 1706. In addition, some farmers have historically used the light of the full moon to harvest their crops late into the night, according to NASA. This full moon is closest to the autumnal equinox, when many crops are harvested in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, held in China and many other Asian countries, and the 16-day Pitru Paksha period of the Hindu calendar often fall on the same day as the Harvest Moon. The beginning of the seven-day Jewish holiday of Sukkot fell on the same day as the moon last year.