Full Harvest Moon Update – September 16, 12:05 PM PDT

Here’s another update from SMBAS Blog on that large, disc-like, shining object which has frequently and mysteriously appeared in our nighttime sky this year (spoken of in hushed whispers by the Illuminati as the moon).

Irish harvest moon & deer (Anthony Lynch 9/19/13 from Space.com)

Sept. 16, 12:05 p.m. PDT — Full Harvest Moon.  Traditionally, this designation goes to the full moon that occurs closest to the Autumnal (Fall) Equinox.  This year’s version comes only five days early. At the peak of the harvest, farmers can work into the night by the light of this moon. Usually the moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe.   Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans and wild rice — the chief Indian staples — are now ready for gathering.

Full moon names from other cultures Courtesy of Keith Cooley):
Chinese: Chrysanthemum Moon; English Medieval: Barley Moon
Celtic: Singing Moon; Dakotah Sioux: Moon When The Calves Grow Hair

Interesting & useful factoids on moon averages:
Apparent width of the moon (full or otherwise):  1 /2 degree.
Time one full moon to next full moon:  29.5 days
Angle moon moves in 24 hours:  12.2 degrees
Time for moon to move it’s own width (1/2 degree):  59 minutes
Thus, on average, the moon takes just under an hour to move it’s own width. When trying to estimate the size of something, compare it to the moon, a known quantity.

MoonPhases.info – A handy site for slightly under a googolplex of moon facts.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a page for each full moon. A September tip: best days for fishing: 1-16th, 30th. Now you know, so you have no excuse.

The next significant full moon will occur on Oct. 15, 9:23 p.m. PDT.   Keep an eye on this spot for additional late-breaking news on this unprecedented event.

The information on moon name comes to you courtesy of: http://www.space.com/31699-full-moon-names-2016-explained.html
written by Joe Rao.   Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer’s Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y.

But that’s waaay too long to type in, and besides, you don’t need to go there because SMBAS has done the work for you!
[Chuck Almdale]