Moon, Blue Moon and Harvest Moon
What are the different types of full moons?
A full moon occurs when the side of the Moon facing Earth is fully lit up by the Sun.
There are a few different types of unusual full moon types, which include blood moons,
supermoons, blue moons, and harvest moons, and others.
When you look up at the night sky, you might notice that the Moon looks a little different
each night. This is due to our Moon's many phases and types.
A full moon occurs when the side of the Moon facing Earth is fully lit up by the Sun. But
did you know that not all full moons look the same?
Sometimes, the Moon may appear to glow red. Other times, the Moon may appear
larger than usual in our night sky. The Moon itself is not changing colors or sizes. Its
changes in appearance are usually due to its position in relation to the Sun and Earth.
Here are descriptions of a few of those unusual full moons:
Blood Moon
One meaning of a "blood moon" is
based on its red glow. This blood moon
occurs during a total lunar eclipse.
During a total lunar eclipse, Earth lines
up between the Moon and the Sun. This
hides the Moon from the sunlight.
When this happens, the only light that
reaches the Moon's surface is from the
edges of the Earth's atmosphere. The
air molecules from Earth's atmosphere
scatter out most of the blue light. The
remaining light reflects onto the Moon's surface with a red glow, making the Moon
appear red in the night sky.
The name "blood moon" is also sometimes used for a Moon that appears reddish
because of dust, smoke or haze in the sky. And it can be one of the full moons of
autumn when the leaves are turning red.
Supermoon
A "supermoon" appears to us as a larger-than-usual Moon in
our night sky. A supermoon looks larger just because it's a bit
closer to Earth. "Supermoon" is actually just a nickname for
what astronomers call a perigean full moon – a moon that is
full and at its closest point in its orbit around Earth.
Blue Moon
When you hear someone say, "Once in a blue moon …"
you know they are talking about something rare. A blue
moon is not blue in color. In fact, a blue moon does not
look any different than a regular, monthly full moon.
Rather, a blue moon is special because it is the "extra"
Moon in a season with four full moons. This usually only
happens every two-and-a-half years. Since the 1940s, the
term "blue moon" has also been used for the second full
moon in a calendar month. This usually happens only every two-and-a-half years.
Harvest Moon
The harvest moon gets its name from agriculture. In the days before electric lights,
farmers depended on bright moonlight to extend the workday beyond sunset. It was the
only way they could gather their ripening crops in time for market.
For several evenings, the moonrise comes soon after sunset. This results in an
abundance of bright moonlight early in the evening, which was a traditional aide
to farmers and crews harvesting their summer-grown crops. Hence, it's called the
“Harvest” Moon!
Harvest moon, the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox (about September 23).
Near the time of the autumnal equinox, the angle of the moon's orbit relative to the
Earth's horizon is at its minimum, causing the full moon to rise above the horizon much
faster than usual.
All full moons rise around the time of sunset. Because the moon orbits the earth in the same
direction the earth is rotating, the moon rises later each day – on average about 50.47 minutes
later each day The Harvest Moon and Hunter's Moon are unique because the time difference
between moonrises on successive evenings is much shorter than average. The moon rises
approximately 30 minutes later from one night to the next, as seen from about 40 degrees N or S
latitude. Thus, there is no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise for several days
following the actual date of the full moon.
The term "harvest moon" refers to the full, bright Moon
that occurs closest to the start of autumn. The name
dates from the time before electricity, when farmers
depended on the Moon's light to harvest their crops
late into the night. The Moon's light was particularly
important during fall, when harvests are the largest.
