It's almost time for the Harvest Moon. No, not the Neil Young song of the same name, but that last full moon before the autumnal equinox - which this year, is September 23rd. It's traditionally been called the harvest moon because it gave farmers the best use of extra hours of light to harvest crops in the field.
This year, the September harvest moon will feature a potentially superstitious twist: it's happening on Friday the 13th.
According to the Farmer's Almanac, tomorrow's harvest moon should peak around 11:33pm our time. Also according to the Almanac, the last time this happened nationwide was in October, 2000; it won't happen again till August 2049.
To make this even more unusual, this harvest moon will be smaller than a normal full moon.
Tomorrow's (Friday's) moon is a "micro moon," a full moon that occurs when the moon is furthest from earth - known as a point called "apogee." At apogee, the moon covers an area of sky about 14% smaller than when it's closest to earth. That's called "perigee" and often referred to as the "super moon" because it looks friggin' huge by comparison.
Of course, there's plenty of superstition around both Friday the 13th and full moons. Sometimes people believe full moons can cause people or even animals to change their behavior, or be overtaken by spirits. Turns out, changes in animal behavior - and heck, possibly some human behavior, too - is due to the changes in the amount of light the moon reflects, which changes how our nighttime landscape looks. That can indeed change one's mood.
Many consider the full moon to the end of a cycle, offering a momentary opportunity to release the old and embrace the new. That sentiment can be especially strong during autumn, when we say goodbye to summer and prepare for our upcoming winter.
This moon will also fall under the astrological sign of Pisces, a water sign that's tied to emotions and malleability. So maybe you can take advantage of this opportunity and be flexible about improving things in your life - like listening more to us!
Hopefully the weather holds out Friday night for good viewing. Check it out!
Photo credit: Getty images