Shine on: Here comes the harvest moon! - Reverb MSN Music

Get ready for a late-summer spectacle: A lovely "harvest" full moon will rise in the eastern sky Monday evening, Sept. 20, which will reach peak illumination at 7:54 p.m. EDT.

The meaning behind full moon names

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The harvest moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, which this year will be Sept. 22.

Why the "harvest" moon nickname? "In the days before tractors with headlights, having moonlight to work by was crucial to getting the harvest in quickly before rain caused it to rot," according to Alan MacRobert, an editor at Sky & Telescope magazine.

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Many crops ripen all at once in late summer and early autumn, so farmers found themselves extremely busy at this time of year, according to NASA. They had to work after sundown.

For several evenings, the moonrise comes soon after sunset, the Old Farmer's Almanac said. "This results in an abundance of bright moonlight early in the evening, which was a traditional aide to farmers and crews harvesting their summer-grown crops. Hence, it’s called the 'harvest' moon!"

© Charlie Riedel, AP A couple sit on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River as the full harvest moon rises in the distance Sept. 8, 2014, in Kansas City, Mo.

The Farmer's Almanac adds that since the autumnal equinox can happen on either September 22 to 23, this means that the harvest moon can come as early in the calendar as September 8 or as late as October 7.

So, a summer harvest moon, especially one that happens just a couple of days before the equinox, is not really such a rare occurrence, the Almanac said. "In fact, about 50% of all harvest moons occur during the summer."

September is usually the month associated with harvest moons; they happen nearly 76% of the time, while October harvest moons occur an average of just 24%, the Almanac said. 

Additionally, at moon rise, the moon is often reddened by clouds and dust in our atmosphere. Moons near the horizon are also swollen to outlandish size by the moon illusion, a well-known but still mysterious trick of the eye that makes low-hanging moons seem much larger than they really are.

For a real blast from the past, check this out: The harvest moon was the subject of this catchy pop standard from the early 1930s:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shine on: Here comes the harvest moon!

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