What is a "Harvest Moon"?

24 April 2014

The Short Answer (TSA)

 "Harvest Moon" by Roadcrusher

The Harvest Moon happens in the autumn and is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox (the first day of fall — around September 23rd).

But hold on!

I grew up in farm country.  We talked about Harvest Moons without ever figuring out the date of the equinox.  In fact, to many, the Harvest Moon is about the color of the Moon as much as it’s about the timing of the Moon.

A Harvest Moon is orange in color.  Orange full moons are more common in the fall around harvest time.  One reason for the orange moon is that, during the fall, the timing and the angle of the moon-rises keeps the Moon low in the sky.  When the Moon is low, it’s more likely to have an orange or yellow color.

Another reason for the orange moon is the harvest.  When the Moon is low in the sky, it gets an even deeper orange color if the air is full of particles and dust.  During the fall, with many farmers harvesting their crops, the air is filled with dust from the disturbed earth and the shearing of crops in the harvesting process.  So, in farm country, the autumn full (and almost full) moons tend to be particularly orange in color.

So, the Harvest Moon is also a large orange moon low in the fall night sky.

M Grossmann of Hazelwood, Missouri
(& Belleville, Illinois)
14 April 2014
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