Celebration of Space - September 13, 2024
The Harvest Moon occurs on Tuesday, September 17, 2024
This coming Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 10:37 pm ET, the Moon will orbit into the opposite side of Earth and the Sun. This is the full Moon, and occurs every 29.5 days (Synodic period). Even though this happens regularly, the September Moon in 2024 has a few notable occurrences associated with it.
The September Moon carries the moniker The Full Corn Moon, but in 2024 it is also known as the Harvest Moon. This has been a topic of uncertainty among sky watchers, as many assume that the September Moon is always the Harvest Moon, which is not the case. The Harvest Moon is the full Moon that occurs closest to the Autumnal Equinox, which happens on September 22, 2024. In 2024 the September Moon fits this role, but it is not uncommon for the October Moon to take on this name. Another erroneous popular belief is that the Harvest Moon is the brightest Moon of the year, so bright that you can harvest crops by its Moon light. In truth, you can harvest crops by the light of any full Moon. The reason the September / October Moon has this reputation is because it occurs during harvest. In reality it isn’t really brighter than any other full Moon aside from the same differences that apply to all other full lunar phases. Differences like the perigee-syzygy (SuperMoon).
The SuperMoon is a loosely defined, common name that is applied to a full Moon that occurs within 24 hours of the lunar perigee. The lunar perigee is the Moon’s closest point to Earth in its 27.3 day orbital period (sidereal period). When these two events occur together, the Moon will be a bit larger and a bit brighter than your average full Moon, but it is a change that you will not notice. The Harvest Moon in 2024 will occur at 10:37 pm on September 17th, and the lunar perigee will occur at 9:28 am on September 18th. This will make the Moon appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than the full Moon of February 2024, which was when the full Moon occurred in concert with the lunar apogee (furthest point in lunar orbit).
Another fantastic occurrence that will happen with the Harvest Moon in 2024 is a partial lunar eclipse. Being that the Moon orbits Earth inclined 5.1º to the ecliptic (the path the Sun takes across the sky), the Moon will end up anywhere within 5.1º above the ecliptic to 5.1º below the ecliptic. On September 17th, the Moon will orbit into opposition at 1.6º below the ecliptic, enough for the northern side of the Moon to briefly pass into Earth’s umbra (primary shadow). This eclipse will not be as spectacular as a total lunar eclipse, and in Southern New England we will see about a 10% partial eclipse. Timings for the eclipse are as follows:
Penumbral eclipse starts at 8:41 pm ET. This is when the Moon enters Earth’s Penumbra, which is our secondary or partial shadow
Partial eclipse starts at 10:12 pm ET. This is when the Moon enters Earth’s umbra.
Greatest eclipse occurs at 10:45 pm ET when 9.1% of the Moon is in Earth’s umbra.
Partial eclipse ends at 11:15 pm ET. This is when the Moon exits Earth’s umbra.
Penumbral eclipse ends at 12:47 am. This is when the Moon exits Earth’s penumbra.
Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center will be open for an event on Tuesday, September 17th to celebrate the eclipse. Learn more about our event. Regardless of how you view the eclipse, be sure to step outside between 10:15 pm and 10:45 pm ET to catch a view of the best part of the eclipse. The entire eclipse will be visible from the eastern side of the US. So set your alarms and mark your calendars now. If you happen to capture a photo of the eclipse, send it to us at: astronomer@frostydrew.org, we would love to see it!
Tomorrow, Saturday, September 14, 2024 is a big day for Frosty Drew. For one, it is our annual Inspire, Discover, Enlighten, and Awe (IDEA) Expo fundraiser. This is a day to learn about the mission of the Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center, as well as to become inspired about things to come. But in 2024, our expo is also coinciding with the annual International Observe the Moon Night, which is when thousands of organizations around the world all engage in lunar observing and education activities. This will be Frosty Drew’s 14th year hosting International Observe the Moon Night, and it has become a fantastic evening of lunar celebrations.
Starting at 6:30 pm, the Frosty Drew campus will be buzzing with activities. We’ll have almost all of our telescopes offering up views of the Moon with different magnifications, with one telescope showing everything but the Moon (like Saturn’s rings). The large 24 inch PlaneWave telescope in the Observatory will show high powered views of notable craters and features on the lunar surface. The Lunar Lounge will be set up on our north lawn with a live projection of the Moon from a telescope fitted with a camera. We will host two sessions of Story Time Under the Willow, which will offer a family friendly story about the Moon presented by Frosty Drew Astronomy Team member, Jessica. In the Sky Theatre, NASA Solar System Ambassador, Frank Puglia, will be presenting about the Moon. The Science Center will have exhibits on display about the Moon. We will also have a table with the history of Frosty Drew on display, including information about our namesake, Edwin “Frosty” Drew. For those interested in how a telescope works, Frosty Drew Director, Gavin, will host a presentation station called Dissect a Telescope, that will show you all the inner workings of astronomical telescopes. Light refreshments will be available alongside fabulous views of the Moon. It is certainly not a night to miss.
Learn about our International Observe the Moon Night event, and make plans to be there.
Have a happy Friday the 13th from all the astro-geeks at Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center!
