When Is The Next Full Moon? Harvest Moon Rises on Thursday, Oct. 5
The Harvest Moon is rising this week. The first full moon nearest to this year's autumnal equinox is set to arrive on Oct. 5, and clear skies could give nighttime skywatchers a treat this Thursday.
The so-called Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox, which is when the Sun transits right over the equator. That date fell on Sep. 22, and it makes this week's full moon on Thursday this year's full moon to watch.
The full moon on Sep. 6 might have made it, except that it was just too early to qualify, according to CBS News. Instead, the full moon on Oct. 5 is the real deal, which makes this year unusual since Harvest Moons usually come up in September.
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This late Harvest Moon becomes 100 percent full at 2:40 p.m. EDT, too early for viewers in the mainland United States to get a glimpse of the moon in its full glory. Much of the world will miss this, in fact, as this happens as the moon is over the Pacific.
Watchers in New Zealand and the east coast of Australia will get a look at the closest thing, with the moon at 94 percent full by the time it rises over these regions, according to Space.com.
Viewers in New York will still see the not-quite-full moon over the skyline on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 6:51 p.m. EDT. Boston natives can get to enjoy the unusual moon on the same day, at 6:39 p.m. Skies will be mostly clear in the area on that day, so taking a photo of the low-lying moon will not be too difficult as well.
When conditions permit, watchers will get to see a moon that looks orange-tinged and seems much larger than usual, which has inspired others over the course of history to give it a variety of colorful names.
The Harvest Moon has been called the Kindly Moon in Chinese culture and was also known as the Blood Moon in medieval times. While the name Hunter's Moon is usually reserved for the first full moon of October, this year's Harvest Moon doubles as that, too.
This full moon also marks this year's Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, an important night for Jewish people. It celebrates not only the harvest season but also their delivery from Egypt.
