September 10, 2014 in the U.S. sees the third night of the current full moon phase. This full moon has special significance because it is not only the Harvest Moon, which is the full moon occurring closest to the autumnal equinox, it also happens to be a full moon coinciding with lunar perigee.
Lunar perigee means that at the peak of full, a moon is as close to the Earth in its cycle as it will be all month. So, because of these two coinciding events, this Harvest Moon has the distinction of also being a supermoon. - Read more here: http://earthsky.org/tonight/the-moon-unites-everybody
I took these pictures on September 8th, from the street beside my house in southeastern Colorado.
My dh in the foreground.
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The Harvest Moon can occur in September or October. When the Harvest Moon is in October, the September full moon is called the Corn Moon or Barley Moon. When the October full moon isn't the Harvest Moon, it is usually called the Hunter's Moon.
The Harvest Moon is so named because in the 'olden days' of traditional fall harvesting, this moon provided the much needed dusk-until-dawn illumination for people to work the extra hours in order to bring in the harvest.
These images are from September 9th around 8:30 p.m. MDT and taken in the same location as the other moon pictures.
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So, just for fun, here is a YouTube video — 2 minutes of audio — of a 1909 recording of Shine on Harvest Moon sung by Ada Jones and Billy Murray. It is remarkably clear.
Until next time,
Kaye
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Oh Kaye, I love the photos! I also have been a big fan of the moon since a child when I wandered the area around my home town after dark. What a great way to bring the night to life with such great names for the moon. Now to go for a walk tonight, for the sky should be clear for a change. Doris
ReplyDeleteDoris,
DeleteI'm looking forward to taking a moonlight walk tonight. I hope it is clearer. I'd like to take pictures as the moon is just coming up. ;-)
Kay, I love to see a full moon and the super moon last month was simply breathtaking. To me the moon hold mystery and beauty and supernatural power. Our very life force depends on the moon. I guess that's why I have such awe for it. Thanks for posting what the different moon are called. I needed this!
ReplyDeleteLinda,
DeleteMoon, constellations, falling stars, meteor showers...all those astronomical wonders are breath taking and wondrous. The moon's influence on the tides really fascinates me.
Kaye--what a lovely post! Thanks for all the info about moon names, and your photos are wonderful. We're lucky here in Arizona--despite all the rain we've been getting, in the evening the clouds have cleared and we can see the moon.
ReplyDeleteKristy,
DeleteHere on the southeastern Colorado prairie, our nights are more often cloud-free than cloudy, but the past two nights have been overcast and we've had rain showers. Tonight promises to be clear, so I'm looking forward to watching the moon rise. ;-)
Kaye, such a great post. I didn't see lover's moon listed. Perhaps there isn't such a name for a moon, but there should be. What's more romantic than walking hand in hand along the shore with your special someone with the light of a full moon shining down upon the water?
ReplyDeleteBarbara,
DeleteYou are absolutely correct. There is a Lover's Moon, and it is the June moon. Thanks for pointing that out. I'll add that to the chart and repost it. ;-)
There is something soooo romantic about being outside, walking in the moonlight with that special someone. *sigh*
In my stories, I often include moonlight scenes, or mention the dark of the moon, or in some way include a reference. I come from a family of night-sky watchers and my husband is an amateur astronomer of sorts. He and the Old Farmer's Almanac are good friends, so he keeps me up-to-snuff on cosmic happenings. lol
Kaye, I just love these pictures and your post about the moon. I think that was my daughter's first word--my mom taught her. I love the moon, but I'm a sun worshiper, too. It's easy to see why these figure so much in ancient religion, calendars and stories (and poems, of course!) "The moon was a ghostly galleon..." LOL
ReplyDeleteI use moonlight in my writing a lot, too. It just seems to happen that way. My uncle used to have a poem he recited at wedding receptions in our family. "Nice night in June/Stars shine, big moon..." any how, it goes on talking about how a couple falls in love under the moon, gets married, have a baby, and then he can't get any sleep so he starts out praising the moon and then being angry about it being the cause of his troubles. LOL
That's one reason I was so ready to move from WV--I could not see the sky like I was used to, here in Oklahoma.
Great post!
Cheryl
Cheryl,
DeleteI lived near Cleveland, Ohio for a few years and, having been born and raised on the Colorado prairie, I didn't like not being able to see the horizons because of the trees. I, too, was glad to return to my native state.
I so enjoyed this post....I have a strong connection to the Moon, too --
ReplyDeleteI have a sweet story about the moon and our daughter when she was three years old! She looked up out of the car window at the crescent moon and said, "Mommy, who broke the moon?!" I have always wanted to use that line in a story and will someday. My first script was entitled, FOOL MOON -- and the moon plays an important role in that story!
As a ranching/farm wife, I can't tell you how often the moon plays into our life! And living where we do, in the middle of a very rural, sparsely populated mountain valley, we feel overwhelmed sometimes by the size of the moon and/or the myriad of stars....we are a hugely connected to the night sky! And when we ride into the mountains, sometimes it's by the light of the moon that we travel a trail.....an awesome experience.
The Lakota have wonderful names for the various moons that come each month; September is known as the "Moon of Brown Leaves" and October is the "Moon of Falling Leaves." March is the "Moon of Snow Blindness" and I love February: "Moon of Popping Trees."
Gail,
DeleteDuring my childhood and teenage years, my family belonged to a saddle club that had a lady's riding group and a 4-H group associated with it. The lady's group (Buckskin Brigade) ;-) organized "moonlight rides" many times throughout the years. They were great fun.
The names that Native Americans gave to the full moons are so colorful and descriptive. While a tad different for each tribe, they are also quite similar.