You've heard of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, but have you ever heard of the Cheshire Moon?

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Autumnal Equinox

Thursday, September 22nd officially begins a new season, as the Autumnal Equinox happens.  For many of us, it also signifies the time of year when we can look forward to cooler temps and shorter days.  While I'm personally not a fan of the shortened amount of sunlight, I am a fan of the cooler temperatures (especially when we have record-breaking heat two days before).

According to Britannica, there is a pretty cool reason why the Autumnal Equinox is significant:

autumnal equinox, two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator and day and night are of equal length; also, either of the two points in the sky where the ecliptic (the Sun’s annual pathway) and the celestial equator intersect. In the Northern Hemisphere the autumnal equinox falls about September 22 or 23, as the Sun crosses the celestial equator going south.

You May See a Glimpse of the Wet Moon or "Cheshire Moon"

During this time of year if you look up in the sky you may get to see a cool phenomenon known as the wet moon, or as some call it the "Cheshire Moon."  It's because of the way the moon is positioned from our view on earth, at certain times it looks like the moon is smiling, like the Cheshire Cat's smile from Alice in Wonderland.  This same moon is also referred to as a wet moon because it looks like it could hold water.

The Farmer's Almanac says in the fall season, it is best to look at the moon very early in the morning to see it looking like a smile in the sky.

In the evenings during the spring (March, April, May), and in the mornings during the fall (September, October, November), for “temperate” (mid-northern) latitudes, the crescent Moon is oriented in such a manner so as to resemble a “smile” or “boat” with the “horns,” or “cusps,” of the crescent pointing straight up.

So during these fall months, be sure to pay attention to the sky, you just might notice the Cheshire Cat smiling down.