What is the harvest moon and when do we see it?

Harvest Moon is over and people are waiting to see Hunter's Moon and exchange many myths and legends. What is the truth about these designations of astronomical phenomena?

Autumn is beating the doors, the streets are now filled with leaves and the breeze is getting colder, and some are preparing preparations for the "Halloween" festival, but those interested in astronomy wait each fall for the phenomenon of the full moon and the emergence of the full moon and call it "moon of the harvest".

The dawn of Saturday was the date of the British with the "Moon of Harvest", appeared in its best form, but before the date of its appearance associated with the autumnal equinox.

So, what is the harvest moon?

This is the name given to the full moon full moon during the period of the autumn equinox.

As a result, the harvest moon appears at any time between September and October.

What is the solar equinox?

Is this the period when the Earth's equator is on the same extent as the center of the sun.

The phenomenon occurs twice a year, the first in March called spring solar equinox and the second in September called autumn equinox.

Why is he called Harvest Moon?

The Harvest Moon label stems from the fact that the moon is extremely bright and appears in the sky at the beginning of the year.

This phenomenon once allowed farmers to extend their working hours by moonlight lighting the fields at night, harvest crops and prepare for the winter months.

When does the lunar harvest phenomenon occur?

The moon of this year's autumn crops appeared at its best in the early hours of Saturday morning September 14, around 5:30. Fans of the phenomenon had to get up early to see it.

The autumn equinox will be held on September 24th. The harvest of the moon has therefore preceded the phenomenon with which it is associated.

Different time zones

In the United States, star observers were able to see the harvest moon on Friday night, a few hours ahead of their British counterparts.

This difference is due to the fact that the moon reaches its maximum brightness before midnight Friday in three time zones: the center, the mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

The timing itself is a rare phenomenon, as the moon of the harvest does not usually appear on Friday, September 13th. © Reuters

How to see the harvest moon?

The harvest moon can be seen clearly as long as the sky is clear and the weather is favorable.

The good thing is that you do not need a telescope to see it, as can be seen at the naked eye. However, celebrity enthusiasts use the telescope to get a closer look.

Sometimes people say that the harvest moon turns orange, and these light effects occur when you look at the moon from an area near the horizon. Indeed, the field of vision crosses the thick atmosphere that surrounds the Earth, which may cause a slight change in the color of the moon.

When the moon rises to the heart of the sky, it becomes bright white.

And after this phenomenon?

The full moon that will appear successively in our sky is the hunter 's moon, the tenth full moon of the year.

Like the harvest moon, the moon gives the fisherman more light to collect food, is brighter and lasts longer.

Our bodies and the full moon

Researchers have revealed that the full moon already affects human bodies and their ability to sleep, and that this was not just a myth.

When the moon's rotation was over, the study volunteers needed more time to fall asleep and had not had a good night's sleep, according to an article in the journal Current Biology in 2013.

The volunteers also experienced a sharp decline in melatonin, a hormone linked to the human body clock, the body secreting this hormone more in the dark, and being affected by human exposure to light live that accompanies the full moon.

The study also revealed that volunteers were affected in their lunar sleep patterns, even though they were inside and unaware of the different stages.