September Full Moon: See the Harvest Moon Shine in the Night Sky Tonight

Appearing two days before the fall equinox this year, the full moon can be seen for the first time at 7:55 p.m. ET, 17 minutes after sunset, according to NASA.

In the few days surrounding the appearance of the harvest moon, the moonrise will occur in just 25 to 30 minutes in the northern United States and in just 10 to 20 minutes in northern Canada and Europe. , according to NASA.

Typically, the moon rises at sunset and about 50 minutes later each day, according to EarthSky. But when a full moon occurs near a fall equinox, like the harvest moon, the moon rises closer to the time of sunset, creating moonlight from dusk to dawn for several nights in a row.

The crop moon may appear larger and brighter than other full moons, and this is because this moon is physically closer to the horizon. The location of this moon gives the illusion of greatness, even though it is not larger than other full moons.

It has been a year of unusual celestial activity, with a rare third full moon, known as the blue moon, making an appearance in late August. Typically, it’s more common for a season to have three full moons, but this year there will be four that occur in a single season, between the June solstice and the September equinox.

Sky schedule to come

Throughout the remainder of 2021, you may be able to capture these spatial and celestial events depending on your location.

Full moons and their names, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac:

• September 20: harvest moon

• October 20: hunter’s moon

• November 19: beaver moon

• December 18: cold moon

Meteor showers, according to EarthSky’s 2021 meteor shower guide:

• October 8: Draconids

• October 21: Orionides

• November 4-5: Taurides du Sud

• November 11-12: Taurides du Nord

• November 17: Leonids

• December 13-14: Geminids

• December 22: Ursides

Solar and lunar eclipses, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac:

• November 19: A partial lunar eclipse, which people in North America and Hawaii will see between 1:00 am Eastern time and 7:06 am Eastern time.

• December 4: A total eclipse visible for those of the Falkland Islands, the southern tip of Africa, Antarctica and south-eastern Australia.

When the planets will be visible

Sky watchers will have multiple opportunities to spot the planets on certain mornings and evenings throughout the rest of 2021, according to planetary guide Farmer’s Almanac.

Seeing most of them – with the exception of Neptune – with the naked eye is possible, but binoculars or a telescope will provide the best view.

Mercury will appear as a bright star in the morning sky from October 18 to November 1. It will shine in the night sky until September 21 and from November 29 to December 31.

Venus, our closest neighbor in the solar system, will appear in the western sky at dusk in the evening until December 31. It is the second brightest object in our sky, after the moon.

Mars makes its reddish appearance in the morning sky between November 24 and December 31.

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is the third brightest object in our sky. Look for it in the evening until December 31.

Saturn’s rings are only visible through a telescope, but the planet itself can still be seen with the naked eye in the evening until December 31.

Binoculars or a telescope will help you spot Uranus’ greenish glow in the morning through November 3 and in the evening from November 4 through December 31. It will be at its maximum until December 31.

And our furthest neighbor in the solar system, Neptune, will be visible through a telescope in the evening now through December 31. It will be at its maximum until November 8.