Harvest Moon Begins This Weekend

The harvest moon is on the rise. 

For three days in row starting Saturday, a full moon will rise just after sunset, creating an unusual amount of evening light. Long before tractors with headlights, the harvest moon helped farmers work late into the night to collect their early-autumn crops and prevent them from rotting. 

Typically the moon rises 50 minutes later each successive night, but because of the harvest moon’s angle toward Earth, it emerges at the same time over several evenings. Though this weekend’s moon may appear larger, it isn’t—it’s just a vivid red because of dust in the atmosphere.

And don’t worry, the full-moon fun doesn’t end this weekend. The Hunter moon, the new moon that aided hunters before flashlights, will rise on Oct. 29.