The
Harvest Moon is the
full moon that appears nearest to the
autumnal equinox, which occurs on or about
23 September. This moon is also known as the
Wine Moon, the
Singing Moon and the
Elk Call Moon. It sometimes occurs in October, depending on the cycles of the moon.
The appearance of the Harvest Moon begins the first of the harvesting months in the
Northern Hemisphere. Many cultures celebrate the harvests with gatherings, festivals, and rituals that are intricately attuned to the Harvest Moon.
At this time, the moon rises at a point which is opposite to the sun, and is situated close to the eastern point of the horizon.
It is claimed by some that the harvest moon seems to be somehow "larger" than other full moons. The human eye sees a low hanging moon as being larger than one that rides high in the sky. This is known as a
Moon illusion, because the image of the moon in the sky is always the same size. A similar type of lunar effect is seen at the time of the
spring equinox, which occurs on or about
21 March.
The harvest moon gets its name from the fact that farmers who were harvesting their crops at this time of year were able to use the extra light of the harvest moon to continue the work in the fields. In October, the full moon for that month can exhibit a similar effect, and is called the
hunter's moon.
In
myth and
folklore the full moon of each month is given a name. There are many variations but the following list gives the most widely known names:
Like a hunter's moon a harvest moon is tinted yellow.
A second full moon in a calendar month, or the third full moon in a season containing 4 full moons, is sometimes called a
blue moon.