This lunar event is called a harvest moon because it is near the fall equinox, a time when farmers often harvest their crops, NASA said. In 2022, the September full moon is closer to the autumnal equinox, which falls on September 22, so it’s called a harvest moon, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. When October’s full moon is closer to the equinox, it is called the harvest moon, and September’s is called the corn moon. The harvest moon first rises around sunset on Friday and rises 25 minutes later each day in the northern United States and 10 to 20 minutes later in Canada and Europe, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Once the moon moves into its next phase, it returns to its normal sunrise schedule 50 minutes later each day. Other full moons throughout the year stick to this 50-minute schedule, according to EarthSky. in the northern hemisphere near the autumnal equinox when the moon’s orbit is closest to the eastern horizon, The Old Farmer’s Almanac said. The moon’s orbit moves about 12 degrees east each day, but because September’s full moon is so close to the horizon, it rises earlier than usual, according to the almanac. which gives farmers light to continue working at night, EarthSky said. In the Southern Hemisphere, this phenomenon occurs around the vernal equinox in either March or April, according to EarthSky. When the moon begins to rise in the sky, a burnt orange hue can be seen. That’s because there’s a thicker layer of Earth’s atmosphere along the horizon compared to just above our heads, according to EarthSky. This atmosphere acts as a filter, transforming the moon into its eerie color when it first rises above the horizon. The harvest moon may also appear larger in the sky compared to other full moons, but your eyes are playing a trick. Any full moon will appear larger along the horizon, so the harvest moon’s position near the horizon makes this optical illusion more noticeable, EarthSky said.
Remaining events in 2022
Three more full moons will occur this year, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac: • October 9: The hunter’s moon • November 8: Beaver Moon • December 7: Cold moon Native American tribes have different names for the full moon, such as the Cheyenne’s “dry grass moon” for the September one, and the Arapaho’s “popping trees” for the December full moon. Get a sneak peak of these upcoming Meteor Shower Events later this year, according to EarthSky’s 2022 Meteor Shower Guide: • Dragonids: October 8-9 • Orionides: October 20-21 • Southern Taurides: November 5 • Northern Taurides: November 12 • Leonidas: November 17-18 • Gemini: December 13-14 • Ursides: December 22-23 And there will be another total lunar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse in 2022, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible to people in parts of Greenland, Iceland, most of Europe, northeast Africa, and western and central Asia. The November 8 total lunar eclipse can be seen in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America, and North America between 3:02 a.m. and 8:56 a.m. ET. But for people in eastern North America, the moon will set during this time. Wear appropriate eclipse glasses to view solar eclipses safely, as sunlight can damage the eyes.
