If you missed the full Harvest supermoon last night, there’s another chance to see it tonight. Before the waning gibbous phase becomes too apparent, to the naked eye the Moon will still appear virtually full tonight. And with conditions looking more settled than last night, and with less cloud cover, we should be in with a decent chance to see the last supermoon of 2023.
Most commonly known as the Harvest Moon, the full Moon in September rose in the evening of 28 September 2023, at 6:41pm, and set at 6:41am this morning on 29 September 2023. It reached peak illumination this morning at 9:57am, and with the Moon rising at 6:54pm this evening, the proximity to peak illumination will mean the Moon still looks full tonight.
But where does the name Harvest Moon come from? And what other names does it go by?
Naming the full Moons was traditionally a way to signify moments in time and season. Most nomenclature originates from the Native Americans, but there are many other cultures around the world that give the Moon their own names, including Hindu, Chinese, Celtic, and medieval English.
The Harvest Moon looks to be European in origin, and is so-called because in a less-mechanised era (and before Franklin, the key, and the kite) the light from the Moon would allow agricultural farmers to keep working into the evenings, so they could harvest grain crops past sunset. Harvesting at the right time not only ensures the best yield, but also the best quality. Leaving crops for too long can result in viruses, fungal infections, insect infestations and crop decay.
For a similar reason, the Harvest Moon is also sometimes called the Corn Moon or the Barley Moon.
The Harvest Moon traditionally referred to the first full Moon after the autumn equinox. However today we use the term a little more loosely, and is given to the full Moon nearest to the equinox. This means that the Harvest Moon can fall anywhere from early-mid September to the first week in October:
“The earliest Harvest Moon occurs on 8 September, latest on 7 October,” explains astronomer and BBC's The Sky At Night presenter Pete Lawrence.
In addition to most widely being known as the Harvest Moon, September’s full Moon is also known by other names in different cultures and folklore. Some of the alternative names for the September full moon include the Corn Moon, the Corn Maker Moon and the Barley Moon.
About our expert, Pete Lawrence
Pete Lawrence is an experienced astronomer, astrophotographer, and presenter on BBC's The Sky at Night. Watch him on BBC Four or catch up on demand with BBC iPlayer
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