Harvest Moon 2014 Date: Next Full Moon Seen September 8-9, 2014
The "super moons" have come and gone and now that September is here, moon-gazers should expect another heavenly spectacle this year: the harvest moon.
Harvest moon, just like the rest of the super moons, pertains to the full moon drawing closest to the autumnal equinox. In other words, our moon orbits closer to Earth, making it appear bigger than the usual. It often falls on September but would also sometimes falls in early October.
According to Earthsky, autumnal equinox comes to the Northern Hemisphere this year on Sept. 23, and the full moon on Sept. 8 to 9 is designated this year's Harvest Moon.
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"The night of September 8-9 will have a beautiful bright full-looking moon, as seen from around the globe. So will the night of September 9-10. The Harvest Moon is known for ushering in a procession of moonlit nights," the publication stated.
In the times where there are still no electric lights, farmers would utilize the exceptional light shed by the moon during these successive dates allowing them to work in the fields and harvest their crops.
What time is the best time to witness the 2014 Harvest Moon?
Depending on your location to the globe, HM 2014 will happen on Sept. 9 at 1:38 Universal Time. When you live in the North American region, "the crest of the moon's full phase comes on September 8, at 9:38 p.m. EDT, 8:38 p.m CDT, 7:38 p.m. MDT or 6:38 p.m. PDT," according to Earthsky.org.
Basically, it's the nights of Sept. 8-9 that are the best times to witness the 2014 Harvest Moon in Americas. For Asian regions, with countries that celebrates Mid-Autumn festivals, the moon turns precisely full "during the daylight hours" on Sept. 9.
"No matter where you are on Earth, a brilliant full-looking moon ascends over your eastern horizon around the time of sunset on September 8. It climbs highest in the sky around the middle of the night, when the sun is below your feet. That's because the moon lies opposite the sun in our sky at the vicinity of full moon. Being opposite the sun, the moon is showing us its fully lighted hemisphere, or "day" side. That's what makes the moon look full," it added.
