Harvest the moon to shine this weekend


September kicks off with a bright full moon, called the Harvest Moon, which will light up the sky on Friday evening.

The moon will appear at sunset Friday evening around 7:39 p.m. EDT and last until sunrise Saturday morning, according to NASA. It will shine brightest around midnight before dipping just before dawn.

The Harvest Moon is one of the most widely recognized full moons and is closest to the autumnal equinox. It gets its name from the fact that it rises when the summer crops are ripe for harvest, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts can also expect more goodies to come in September.

A 12-HOUR SUNDAY AHEAD

The autumnal equinox marks the start of autumn for traditionalists who still use the sun to tell time.

The sun shines squarely on the equator during the autumnal equinox, giving the northern and southern hemispheres an equal amount of sunlight. The line-up takes place on Thursday, September 22 at 9:03 p.m.

At this time, the equator will receive direct sunlight, which will result in approximately 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night everywhere on Earth.

JUPITER WILL REACH MAXIMUM VISIBILITY

The moon will appear near Jupiter in early September, and observers going out to see it will likely notice how bright the planet is. As Jupiter approaches opposition during the last week of September 26, it will become increasingly eye-catching.

Astronomers use the word “opposition” when a planet is directly opposite the sun as seen from Earth. During this time, Jupiter will also be closest to Earth, making it appear brighter than at any other time of the year.

Because it is so simple to identify due to its characteristics, Jupiter is a popular planet to observe with a telescope.

“It is around this time that the planet is largest and brightest for telescope observation,” NASA writes on its website.

“But a pair of binoculars is enough to reveal the giant planet’s four large moons as small star-like points of light next to Jupiter.”