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Harvest Moon to light up B.C. skies with an ‘autumn hue’

It’s the first moon after the autumn equinox

Take a moment to glance up at the sky on Monday night and you might just see something special: a harvest moon.

The moon, so named because it is the first full moon after Saturday’s autumn equinox, will rise at sunset tonight.

“Traditionally, it’s called a harvest moon because it’s around the time that farmers would need extended hours to finish off their crop before winter came,” said H.R. Macmillan Space Centre programs coordinator Michael Unger.

The bright full moon, Unger said, would give farmers the extra bit of light they needed to finish off their harvest.

“The harvest mood traditionally has a lot of cultural connotations because… it’s the coming of a new season,” said Unger.

“It’s a beautiful symbol that we have now entered fall.

Where to catch the harvest moon

While unpredictable fall weather can make seeing the harvest moon tricky, many British Columbians should be in luck this year.

“I think we’re going to have some clear weather, hopefully,” said Unger.

“It generally has a nice amber hue to it because as it rises the light is bouncing through more atmosphere as it rise on the horizon.”

“If you have a vantage point towards the southeastern horizon, that’s where you’ll really get a beautiful scene,” said Unger, describing the scene somewhat akin to the “amber hues” of a sunset.


@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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