Dear Tom,
Will the full moon on September 26th be the Harvest Moon this year?
Thanks, Valerie Dewers
Dear Valerie,
The full moon rising over Lake Michigan at 6:31 p.m. on Wednesday evening, Sept. 26, will indeed be the famed Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is defined as the full moon occurring closest to the autumnal equinox, the event that marks the start of astronomical fall. This year’s Harvest Moon occurs just three days after the Sept. 23 equinox.
Folklore surrounding the Harvest Moon goes back to the days before farmers could use artificial light to illuminate their fields. The strong early-evening moonlight provided by the full moon which always rises around sunset allowed farmers to continue harvest operations until well after dark. This year the Harvest Moon will actually rise 11 minutes before the sun sets at 6:42 p.m.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
