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The Harvest Moon was visible Wednesday night into Thursday morning as the fullest moon in the Americas, and will be waning Thursday night into Friday morning, according to EarthSky.
The night of the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox is traditionally known as the Harvest Moon or Corn Moon. It can come anywhere from two weeks before or after the equinox, EarthSky reported. This year’s Autumnal Equinox falls on Sunday, Sept. 22.
In North America, the moon turned "precisely full" before sunrise on Thursday, Sept. 19. Although the exact instant of the full moon has passed, the Harvest Moon is known for bringing a procession of moonlit night – Sept. 18 to 19 has the brightest and fullest moon in the Americas and the night of Sept. 19 to 20, the moon will be waning, EarthSky said.
Early evening moonrises are what make every Harvest Moon special, making it seems like there are several full moons for a few nights in a row, according to EarthySky. “The Harvest Moon is just an ordinary full moon. It isn’t really bigger or brighter or more colorful than any other full moon.”
"Many fruits and vegetables tend to ripen in the late summer and early fall in the Northern Hemisphere," MSNBC reported. "In the days before electricity, farmers relied heavily on this moon's light, working late into the evening to harvest their crops.
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