Tonight's Harvest Moon will rise, along with the brightly shining planets Venus & Jupiter. The Harvest Moon, which will be visible from the early hours of Wednesday, is the last full moon before the autumnal equinox.
The Harvest Moon will rise just above the east horizon on Monday, September 20 at 7:13 pm EDT. It will reach its full phase approximately 40 minutes later at 7:55 PM EDT.
For observers who are located westward of the African coast, the moon will be full Monday. This is for those who live between the International Date Line and the North Pole. It is a boundary that runs from the North Pole to South Pole across the Pacific Ocean. That's where each calendar day begins. The full moon will be visible to observers based in Europe and Asia, Australia, and most of Africa on Tuesday, September 21.
Related: Super Flower Blood Moon, Amazing Photos of the Total Lunar Eclipse of 2021
Continue reading: September 2021 night sky: What can you see? [Maps]
NASA reports that the Harvest Moon will rise in Pisces just two days after passing Jupiter, and four days before it closes to Uranus.
Venus, the brightest visible planet as the moon, will be 7 degrees above the horizon in west-southwest. Jupiter will be the next brightest planet and it will be visible 24 degrees above the southeast horizon. Saturn, which will appear 27 degrees above the horizon in south-southeast, will be the faintest visible planet in the sky. If you are a keen skywatcher, you may be able briefly to spot Mercury around 30 minutes after sunset. It will then disappear below the west-southwest horizontal.
The Harvest Moon marks a shortening in the Northern Hemisphere's day. On Tuesday, Sept. 22, morning twilight starts at 5:58 am and the sun rises around 6:56 am. However, at the next full moon, Oct. 20, morning light will start at 6:25 am and the sun will rise around 7:23 am.
Follow Tereza Pultarova @TerezaPultarova. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @Spacedotcom
