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A harvest moon will illuminate the night sky in most parts of the country on the night of Friday the 13th. It should continue to shine brightly throughout the weekend, offering more than one opportunity to catch a glimpse.
While it will still appear full to most viewers’ eyes on the night of the Friday the 13th, it won’t actually be exactly full until just past midnight for those living on the eastern timezone (12:33 a.m. on Saturday, September 14.) The spectacle will last until early Sunday.
A harvest moon is a full moon that occurs closest to the beginning of the autumnal equinox, according to NASA. The moon is known as a harvest moon because it appears full for much longer than other full moons, usually lasting longer into the night and appearing full for a few days after. The additional moonlight allows farmers to work later into the evening as the harvest begins.
This one is particularly notable for being a micromoon. This means that the moon is at its apogee, its farthest distance from the earth, according to the Smithsonian. This is the opposite of the Supermoon which made headlines earlier this year. However, the difference between the micromoon and any other full moon might not actually be entirely apparent unless you’re an avid moon watcher.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, a full moon on Friday the 13th is pretty rare. The last one was on October 13th, 2000, nearly 20 years ago, and we won’t see another for about 30 years, on August 13th, 2049.
The full moon is often associated with supernatural activity and strange behavior. Though this one lands on a particularly superstitious day, there is little proof that the full moon affects human psychology or behavior. Even without the werewolves, this micromoon feels like the perfect opener to the fall and Halloween season.
