September Full Moon Is A Harvest Moon Supermoon
 |
| Full Moon: Credit NASA |
MIAMI, Florida - The September 2024 Full Moon is a Supermoon that will occur on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, beginning with a moonrise over Florida's east coast at 7:17 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (with a few minutes of variation depending on your exact location).
The Full Moon will technically be 100% full at 2:34 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 18, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory.
September's Full Moon is called a Harvest Moon that also happens to be a partial lunar eclipse of a Supermoon in 2024.
Partial Lunar Eclipse
A partial lunar eclipse will occur at 10:44 p.m. EDT where part of the moon will become slightly darker, according to Space.com.
What is a Supermoon?
According to NASA, a Supermoon occurs because the Moon is in an elliptical orbit around the Earth.
When the Moon is closest, it is at its orbital perigee, which is why a Super Moon is also known as a Perigee Moon.
At its closest point, the full moon can appear up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than the faintest Moon of the year, which occurs when it’s farthest from Earth in its orbit.
A full moon at its closest point to Earth definitely will be big and bright. But it won’t look much, if any, different than a “normal” full moon and will not have any readily observable effect on our planet except perhaps slightly higher tides for most areas around the world and much higher King Tides in South Florida.
September's Full Moon is the second of four consecutive supermoons. The first Supermoon occured in August.
When is the best time to watch the Supermoon?
Low hanging moons near the horizon appear larger to humans. So, the Supermoon will appear biggest to the naked eye on the U.S east coast during and just after the moonrise.
Why is September’s Full Moon Called a 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. The Full Moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox became “the Harvest Moon.”
Usually, the Harvest Moon arrives a few days to weeks before or after the beginning of fall. This year, the Autumn Equinox and changing of the calendar seasons will occur on September 22, 2024. Equinox means “equal night” in Latin, capturing the idea that daytime and nighttime are equal lengths everywhere on the planet.
Full Moon High Tide
For those planning to walk, bike, or run along the beach in Florida, this Full Moon brings along with it a 4 ft. + Atlantic Ocean high tide on the east coast and a 2 ft. + high tide on Florida's Gulf Coast.
