http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=280
Harvest Moon Occurs Today:
A lot of people assume that a Harvest Moon is simply a name that we use to refer to the Moon when it looks orange. However, not all orange Moons are Harvest Moons.
In truth, "Harvest Moon" is just a term that we use to describe the full Moon at a particular time in the year – it is the name for the full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox. That makes the Harvest Moon September 18-19 in the Northern Hemisphere; in Asia, this full moon falls on the night of September 19-20. ...
Ultimately, the orange coloring that we frequently see stems from the fact that – when you look toward the horizon – you are looking through a greater thickness of Earth’s atmosphere than when you gaze up and overhead. The atmosphere scatters blue light – that’s why the sky looks blue. The greater thickness of atmosphere in the direction of a horizon scatters blue light most effectively, but it lets red light pass through to your eyes. So a moon near the horizon takes on a yellow or orange or reddish hue.
A lot of people assume that a Harvest Moon is simply a name that we use to refer to the Moon when it looks orange. However, not all orange Moons are Harvest Moons.
In truth, "Harvest Moon" is just a term that we use to describe the full Moon at a particular time in the year – it is the name for the full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox. That makes the Harvest Moon September 18-19 in the Northern Hemisphere; in Asia, this full moon falls on the night of September 19-20. ...
Ultimately, the orange coloring that we frequently see stems from the fact that – when you look toward the horizon – you are looking through a greater thickness of Earth’s atmosphere than when you gaze up and overhead. The atmosphere scatters blue light – that’s why the sky looks blue. The greater thickness of atmosphere in the direction of a horizon scatters blue light most effectively, but it lets red light pass through to your eyes. So a moon near the horizon takes on a yellow or orange or reddish hue.
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