A FULL Moon lights up the night sky – and there’s a great one coming up.
We’ve put together a quick guide on everything you need to know about full Moons and when they are – including when the next Harvest Moon.
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What is a full Moon?
The Moon is little more than a rock orbiting Earth.
Importantly, it doesn’t produce any visible light of its own.
So when we see the Moon, it’s only thanks to light from other objects (like the Earth or Sun) hitting it, and then bouncing off down to our eyes.
The Moon, the Earth and the Sun are constantly changing positions, which means we see different parts of the Moon at any given time.
When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, its rear side is lit up – leaving it in darkness for humanity.
That’s called a new Moon.
And when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun, it’s fully lit – giving us a full Moon.
There are various phases in between these two, with a total cycle of about 29.5 days.
The last full Moon was on August 22, 2021 and its peak was at 8.02am.
A full Moon at this time of year is known as a Sturgeon Moon, which is also known a the Fruit Moon, Grain Moon and the Green Corn Moon.
The name comes the fish Native Americans would catch at this time of year.
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When is the next full Moon?
The next full Moon is on September 21, 2021.
It is known as the Harvest Moon or the Corn Moon and will peak at 12.54am.
The name is attributed to Native Americans because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested.
It is traditionally symbolic of a new beginning, coming after hard work and dedication.
It coincides with the autumn equinox, which is when the sun is directly above the Earth’s equator and the day and night are of equal length.
A full Moon at this time of the year is known as a Harvest Moon.
At first, it may seem like a regular full moon, however, closer examination shows a orangey hue to it due to its proximity to the horizon.
For the first few nights, the Harvest Moon will rise quickly at sunrise, looking bright and large in the sky.
What time is the Full Moon?
The official full Moon time in the UK is 12.54am.
The Met Office is forecasting a bright and sunny day followed by a clear night, though some clouds are expected to form on Tuesday morning.
But you’ll be better off waiting until the evening to see it.
Full Moon dates 2021 – here’s the full list
There are 12 full Moons to spot in 2021, each with its own unique name.
Here’s the full list:
- January 28 – Wolf Moon
- February 27 – Snow Moon
- March 28 – Worm Moon
- April 27 – Pink Moon
- May 26 – Flower Moon
- June 24 – Strawberry Moon
- July 24 – Buck Moon
- August 22 – Sturgeon Moon
- September 21 – Corn Moon / Harvest Moon
- October 20 – Hunter’s Moon
- November 19 – Beaver Moon
- December 19 – Cold Moon
Of these, there are two Supermoons, where the full Moon appears bigger and brighter than usual.
The two official Supermoons are on April 27 and May 26.
However, the full Moons in March and June are also classed as Supermoons by some – due to their immense apparent size in the sky.
What is a Super Moon and why does it appear?
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
