Normally when you think of Harvest Moon you think of fall, but this year the Harvest Moon will happen before fall officially starts. Here's when to see it!

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Look At the Moon

There's something special about stepping outside to look up at the moon. I can't tell you how many times my mom or dad have called me just to ask me if I'd seen the moon yet. I love looking up at the night sky, especially on nights the moon is full.   The final full moon of summer is approaching quickly, and it will be here very soon!

Photo by Luca on Unsplash
Photo by Luca on Unsplash
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The Final Full Moon of Summer

Summer is coming to a close, and soon we will have the final full moon of summertime.  Be sure to look up at the night sky on September 9th as that is the final full moon of the season.  It's a little extra special though because this particular full moon is the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is always an exciting sight because it means cooler weather and Fall are here (or almost here). This year however our Harvest Moon will actually be falling during the summertime, but how can that be?

Photo by Ganapathy Kumar on Unsplash
Photo by Ganapathy Kumar on Unsplash
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So what is the Harvest Moon?

The Harvest Moon is the name for the full moon that arrives closest to the autumn equinox.  Usually, the Harvest Moon occurs in September but occasionally it will occur as late as October.  This year the moon will occur in September which is not uncommon at all, but it will actually occur before it's officially autumn.  The Farmer's Almanac has a lot of really good information on the Harvest Moon, and why this time the Harvest Moon won't fall during, well fall.

Photo by Gary Fultz on Unsplash
Photo by Gary Fultz on Unsplash
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If you want to look to the sky to see the Harvest Moon you can catch it on Friday, September 9th, which if you look at a calendar the official start of fall is actually September 22nd, meaning this year's Harvest Moon will actually fall during what is technically still summer. Who knew the Harvest Moon could fall during summertime?  You learn something new every day!

Must See: Astrophotography Taken Over Southern Illinois Zinnia Field

See beautiful images of the night sky over a zinnia field located in Redelman Orchards located in Southern Illinois. The spectacular photos were captured by Illinois photographers Grant Twiss and John O'Connell.

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