The Harvest Moon Friday 29th September
The Moon tends to come into more public prominence during the autumn when the Harvest Moon appears. This year it is due on Friday 29th September. By tradition it is named by the farmers who; before modernisation; took advantage of the full Moon’s additional light to work late into the night to bring home additional crops.
Communities would refer to the Harvest Moon by different yet similar names depending on what respective farmers are harvesting or experiencing during their work. Examples being Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Wine Moon, Elk Call Moon and Singing Moon to name but a few.
The Hunters Moon Saturday 28th October
Following the Harvest Moon is the Hunters Moon which occurs this year on Saturday 28th October. Having harvested their crops our ancestors would hunt for the meat needed to help the community survive during the forthcoming harsh winter. The fields would have been cleared in the previous weeks of harvest so the conditions would be ideal for hunting because animals who had come to find food in the open fields could be more easily seen.
Again communities would refer to the Hunters Moon by different names including Blood Moon, Dying Grass Moon, Drying Rice Moon, Falling Leaves Moon, Travel Moon and Migrating Moon.
Diary
- Meteor Showers: Tuesday 10th October the Southern Taurids peak.
- Autumn Equinox: Saturday 23rd September 07.50am British Summer Time. The Sun will be exactly above the Equator moving from North to South to signal autumn is with us.
- Harvest Full Moon: Friday 29th September.
- Partial Eclipse of the Moon: Visible across the whole of the UK on Friday 28th October.
- Hunters Full Moon: Saturday 28th October.
- Clocks go back: Clocks go back at 02.00 hours on Sunday 29th October.
- Mercury: Ideal position for observing in the early morning of 22nd September and going into early October.
- Venus: Impressive morning planet during both September and October.
- Mars: Not visible during the months of September and October.
- Jupiter: Prominent after midnight during September and becoming and well placed for viewing late evening during October.
- Saturn: Well placed in the evening sky during September and peaks early evening as the nights progress during October. Can be observed by a gibbous Moon on the 23rd and 24th October.
Stay Safe – John Harris