A full moon tonight will set the stage for a uncommon Blue Moon on Halloween, simply three days earlier than the presidential election on November 3.
The Full Corn Moon peaks on Wednesday, September 2, at 1.22 a.m. EDT. However, it should seem full till Thursday morning, NASA says.
Normally, September’s full moon is named the Harvest Moon as a result of it’s the closest full moon to the autumn equinox, which takes place on September 22. This yr, it falls early within the month, which means the closest full moon to the equinox is on October 1, making this the Harvest Moon.
It additionally means October could have two full moons, with the subsequent happening on October 31—Halloween. When one month has two full moons, the second is named a Blue Moon.
The fall equinox, or autumnal equinox, is considered one of two seasonal markers of the yr, the opposite being Spring equinox. At this level, the day and evening are virtually precisely equal lengths—12 hours. In the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the purpose the place nights begin getting longer than the day. For international locations within the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the begin of spring, with days getting progressively longer.
According to a weblog put up by NASA, September’s full moon additionally corresponds with the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival. “The seventh month of the Chinese calendar is the Ghost Month and the fifteenth day of this month (a full Moon day) is called Ghost Day, on which ghosts and spirits, including those of deceased ancestors, come out to visit the living.”
For some Buddhists in Thailand and Bangladesh, this full moon is often known as the Honey Full Moon and the Honey-offering Festival. According to the legend related to the pageant, Buddha was attempting to carry peace between two forest factions. During this time, he was fed by an elephant who introduced fruit and a monkey who introduced honeycomb.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Full Corn Moon will get its title as this was the time of yr corn was historically harvested within the northeastern U.S. The final time there was a Full Corn Moon that was not additionally the Harvest Moon was 2017.
As properly as being a Blue Moon, the second full moon in October is often known as the Hunter’s Moon. This is supposedly named as a result of it marks the time of the yr when folks wanted to go looking in preparation for winter.
October’s Blue Moon additionally coincides with the Southern Taurid meteor bathe, which peaks on October 10 however could be seen within the evening sky till the center of November.
LUIS ROBAYO/AFP through Getty Images