- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
- Click here to share on LinkedIn (Opens in a new window)
- Click to email a friend (Opens in a new window)
(CNN) - This Friday the 13th, a Halloween pumpkin with craters will light up the sky.
Even more coffee than the famous pumpkin lates, the harvest moon officially marks the beginning of the autumn. The days will be shortened, the air will become brighter and a bright full moon will illuminate everything. This is what you should know about the harvest moon.
What is the harvest moon?
A harvest moon is a full moon that usually occurs around the autumn equinox (September 23, the first day of autumn), but sometimes it takes until October in the western hemisphere.
A harvest moon rises about 25 minutes after the sun sets in most of the northern United States, according to NASA, 25 minutes before a typical moon. This brings extra light in the afternoon.
- READ: Strawberry Moon 2019: what is it and when can it be seen?
What the cause?
The moon is positioned at the "most superficial angle" of the eastern horizon, says the Farmer's Almanac. This shortens the period between the time the sun sets and the moon rises.
And like any full moon, the Sun and the Moon are facing each other, so the Sun increases the brightness of the Moon.
Why is it called 'harvest moon'?
Thanks to the farmers. Those 25 additional minutes of sunlight extended harvest time for farmers, so they could continue harvesting later at night. And at the right time, it looks like a large, bright pumpkin.
- READ: The last supermoon of the year occurs while an asteroid passes very close to Earth
Why is this year special?
Is small! This year's harvest moon will occur during apogee, or the point in the Moon's orbit when it is farthest from Earth. As a result, it will appear 14% smaller than a typical full moon, according to the Farmer's Almanac.
Why does it sometimes look reddish orange?
Like the sun when it sets and rises, the moon looks redder the closer it gets to the horizon. This is because the red light waves pass through the atmosphere. Then, when it descends across the sky to the horizon, most blue light waves have been removed, according to the Department of Astronomy at Cornell University.
When can I see her?
The best time to take a look is when the microluna reaches its peak at 12:30 am on Saturday. However, the full harvest moon will rise just after sunset.