The Harvest Moon, which occurred early this morning in central Virginia, is no doubt the most notable of full moons in today's society. It's defined as the full moon which occurs closest to the Autumnal Equinox (first day of Fall). The naming of the Harvest Moon can be traced back to the Native Americans, who had different names for full moons which coincided with harvesting periods or weather changes. Close to the start of Fall, the earth and the moon are oriented in such a way that the time of moonrise from one night to the next is shorter than in any other time of the year. In other words, for a few days on end close to the start of Fall, the moon rises right around nightfall. This provides a little extra light with which to finish the harvest, and is how the Harvest Moon got it's name.
Zach
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