North Texas star gazers who happened to be out this past Friday night and early Saturday morning probably noticed the Harvest Moon shining bright and early, calendrically speaking.
Typically, the Harvest Moon occurs close to the first day of fall, which this year is not until September 22. It is essentially whatever full moon is closest in time to the fall equinox.
The next full moon will not occur until October 9.
The Harvest Moon usually shines in an orange hue and signifies the end of summer and the beginning of the traditional harvest season.
The first known reference to the term “Harvest Moon” was in 1706, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
The Harvest Moon has taken on spiritual significance in several different cultures. In China and Vietnam, it signals the time for offerings made to the lunar goddess. For Buddhists and Hindus, it signals the start of holiday celebrations.
Texas resident Elizabeth Brehany told The Dallas Express she saw the moon appear in an “orange hue” around 9 p.m. on Friday night in Irving. She reported that as it continued to rise, it started to turn whiter.
Just as the atmosphere colors our view of the sun as it sets, making it appear reddish, so too is the moon sometimes bathed in warm hues. It looks redder as it ascends because “there is a thicker layer of the Earth’s atmosphere along the horizon compared with directly above our heads,” according to EarthSky, per KSL 5.
The moon appeared with Jupiter to its left and Saturn above the southeastern horizon. Neptune also made an appearance, only three degrees above the moon.
Later this year, there will be a partial solar eclipse in October, and a lunar eclipse in November; however, neither will be observable in North America. They will be visible in Asia, parts of Europe, Africa, and South America.