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Autumn Moons capture our imagination as they hang in the night sky.
Two autumn moons persist with their common names long after the other moon names are forgotten among most people. They are the Harvest and the Hunters' moons. These two moons persist in everyday culture because they both appear very large, reddish and for a long time in the night sky. The Harvest MoonThe Harvest Moon is the first full moon after the Autumnal Equinox. It can occur in September or October depending on when the first full moon happens. This low hanging moon looks bigger and brighter than other moons. It is usually tinted red. The Harvest full moon stays in the sky for a long period of time.It rises shortly after sunset and in the eastern sky opposite the sun. It rises only 25 minutes after sunset rather than the normal moon rising pattern. The normal moon rising pattern is 50 minutes later each night. So, the Harvest moon rises 25 minutes sooner than normal. And stays in the sky loneger than normal for several nights. It stays visible near the horizon for three or four nights on each side of the full moon. This provides farmers and gardeners with more time to harvest crops. Hence, the name "Harvest Moon". This autumn moon signals, along with frosts, the end of the growing season. The nature-based holidays that focus on the growing season are celebarated around the autumnal equinox. Many peoples around the world celebrate the harvests with fesitals and rituals. Here in the United States harvest symbols include cornicopias, gourds, winter squashes, and bundles of corn. Many people decorate their homes with these symbols. The autumn is also the time that many peoples remember their dead friends, relatives and ancestors. The Hunters' MoonTh Hunters' Moon is the first full moon after the Harvest Moon. The Hunters' Moon recieved it's name because animals have fattened up for the winter and its is a good time to hunt them for the winter food supply. Th Hunter's Moon rises in the early evening soon after sunset. The moon travels low across the evening sky. The additional bright moonlight lets hunter's stalk prey later into the evening. Often the moon has a reddish tint. These moons don't actually change size or color, they change behavior. The Harvest and Hunter's moon are the same size and brightness as other moons. Why the moons appear so large and bright is due to a phenomemna called "moon illusion". Moon IllusionWhen the moon appears close to the horizon (the line where sky and earth meet) it appears very large. This is the illusion. A low hanging moon is the same size as the moon when it is higher in the sky. A moon that hangs low in the sky near the horizon is actually farther away from the viewer than when it is higher. A low hanging moon just appears larger. There are several theories about why this happens but scientists haven't decided which theory is true.These low hanging moons appear reddish. This is due to the moon shining through the low atmosphere of Earth. Smog, smoke, dust and other particles that hang in the air make the moons appear reddish. But it is these two illusions, both large size and reddish color, continue to give the two autumn moons their specialness. Return to Nature in Fall from Autumn Moons
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