Is the September 2023 full moon tonight? When the ‘Harvest Supermoon’ peaks in the UK and what tim
The tenth complete lunar cycle of the year is approaching soon. It comes after all the hype caused by the "blue supermoon" last month, which was of great interest for astronomy enthusiasts.
For thousands of years, people have regarded the full moon as mysterious, and it has influenced various things like scary movies or cultural events and bizarre beliefs about the end of the world.
Lately, there has been a surge in interest regarding the names given to the moon. For instance, the moon for September is referred to as the "Harvest Moon". Additionally, there are other lunar occurrences that have caught people's attention, and the upcoming event will be our last chance to observe a "supermoon" for this year.
"Full Moon Tonight: September 2023?"
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich shares that the upcoming full moon will reach its highest point in the United Kingdom on Friday, September 29 at 10:57 AM.
This indicates that you can best see the moon on Friday night and during the night of Thursday. You can check out the schedule of full moons for the whole year below.
When Is The Full Moon Visible?
The ideal opportunity to see something is when the weather in your area is perfectly suited for a clear view of the sky. This means that there should be minimal cloud coverage, the climate should be favorable, and there should be no obstacles obstructing your view, like tall buildings or trees.
If you want to catch a glimpse of the full moon, Professor Don Pollacco, an astronomer at the University of Warwick, recommends looking towards the East after the sun has set. As long as you have an unobstructed view, you should be able to spot it easily.
The brightness of the moon shines so intensively that we can perceive its glory even when it is not considerably dim outside or when the clarity of the sky is not remarkable. The illumination of the moon will be observable throughout the whole night and descends towards the West as the sun emerges around dawn.
What's A Supermoon?
The upcoming full moon is classified as a supermoon. This happens because the moon's elliptical orbit causes it to approach and retreat from our planet at varying intervals.
In simpler terms, the moon's distance from Earth can vary by as much as 30,000 miles. The closest point of this variation is known as the perigee, and the furthest is known as the apogee.
When the moon is almost at its closest distance to Earth, and its entire surface is illuminated by the sun, it appears larger in the night sky. This is what we call a supermoon.
US astrologist, Richard Nolle, believes that for something to qualify as a "supermoon", it has to be around 225,000 miles away from Earth, which usually happens three or four times each year and is within 90% of its closest approach to our planet.
The occurrence of four straight supermoons in 2023 is not a rare event. This means that the current supermoon is the final one in the series.
Sometimes, the circumstances can be so perfect that we observe a supermoon that's even better than usual (although this isn't an official term).
In November of 2018, NASA reported that the moon was at its fullest point just two hours after it was closest to Earth. This made it look 14% larger and up to 30% brighter than it would have if it were at its furthest point from Earth.
The recent occurrence of a supermoon has marked the biggest one since 1948. No other full moon will be as near to Earth until November 25, 2034.
What's The Reason Behind The Popularity Of 'Harvest Moon'?
The full moon that occurs in September has gained the nickname "Harvest Moon" in certain circles. This information is based on the American Farmer's Almanac, which is considered to be the most reliable source for this type of information.
The report states that the reason for its title is due to its proximity to the autumn equinox, and the support it provides during the harvest period.
The Almanac clarifies that this particular full moon is quite distinct from others, as it appears at almost the same time as the sun sets. This unique occurrence repeats itself for multiple evenings, granting farmers additional evenings of moonlight and aiding them in completing their harvests before the autumn frosts appear.
In the last few years, there has been a growing interest in moon names and what they symbolize. These names are often associated with Indigenous American communities.
It seems that these names have gained more popularity since the 2014 lunar eclipse. This event, commonly known as a "blood moon" because it gives the moon a reddish tint, sparked interest in using these romanticized names.
Laura Redish, who is the founder and director of Native Languages of the Americas, says that there isn't a uniform calendar used by Indigenous Americans. However, Nasa has stated that the calendar names come from the Algonquin people who are a part of a larger cultural and linguistic group known as Algonquian.
According to a list released by the Algonquin Nation Tribal Council in 2005, some of the commonly used monikers like the "harvest moon" and "strawberry moon" appear to belong to the Algonquin tribe.
The "wolf moon" is not included, as it seems that the tribe called January the "long moon month".
Ms. Redish noted that various tribes utilized various types of calendars. It appears that various calendars were borrowed for the commonly known names, and certain names are actually not accurate.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the names they use are derived from a variety of origins such as Native American, colonial American, and European sources.
