Harvest moon to rise over the United States tonight

Oct 1 2020, 8:34 pm

As the calendar flips to the spookiest month of the year, Americans are set to see a gorgeous moon to mark the occasion.

The first full moon of the month will happen on October 1, and it’s called a Harvest Moon.

The month of October has two full moons this year (because, of course it does in 2020): the full Harvest Moon on October 1 and the full Hunter’s Moon on Halloween.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, it relates to the astronomical event of the autumnal equinox— the astronomical start of the fall season in the Northern Hemisphere and of the spring season in the Southern Hemisphere (also called the September or fall equinox).

The Harvest Moon rises on Thursday, October 1, and will reach its peak illumination at 5:06 pm (ET).

For several days around the time of the full Harvest Moon, the moon will rise 30 minutes later each night, resulting in “extra light early in the evening which makes this time of year special.”

As the moon rises from the horizon around sunset, it may appear larger and more orange — perfect for the beginning of the fall season.

Here’s how October’s moons will line up in terms of dates and times, all presented in Eastern Time.

There’s a second full moon due on Halloween known as the Hunter’s Moon.

Almanac.com

For moon gazers who want to know the exact time of moonrise in their location, they should check out the Almanacs Moonrise and Moonset calculator.

Ty JadahTy Jadah

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