The spooky season is on the way, and with it comes all of those fall vibes we love so much. While we won't get the fall weather here, we have other ways to celebrate the season. Fall wouldn't be fall without the Harvest Moon, and a rare version of this autumnal wonder will light up Florida skies this weekend. A full moon happens every 29 and a half days, and according to NASA, the next full moon is this Harvest Moon — the name given to the full moon that rises the closest to the beginning of the Autumnal Equinox. The name Harvest Moon was earned from the bright light it brought to farmers during their harvest season, enabling them to work later into the evening to finish harvest before the cooler weather rolls in and ruins the crop. The light from a Harvest Moon has it's brighter appearance due to the moon rise occurring shortly after sunset, casting a more dramatic lighting effect upon the side we see here on Earth — and boy, is it beautiful. View this post on Instagram 🌕 As the sun sets, a rare event will occur tonight on Friday the 13th, as a full moon will not be seen again on this day and date until 2049. This phenomenon is said to mark the beginning of an auspicious time of luck. Because Friday the 13th only happens between one and three times a year, it’s not particularly common for the full Moon to line up with this day and date exactly. The last time there was a full Moon on Friday the 13th was in January 13, 2006 - 13 years ago. This full moon will be a 'Harvest Moon' (also known as the 'Corn Moon' or 'Barley Moon') it is so named because the moon reaches it’s peak brightness close to the Spring equinox and is associated with the time of year that farmers began to harvest their crops. Before there were tractor lights, farmers used the light of the full moon to help them see at night. The next full moon to fall on Friday the 13th is not due until August 13, 2049. #fridaythe13th #harvestmoon #fullmooninpisces #fullmoon #springequinox A post shared by 🌸LadyG🌸 (@gloria_elizabeth_romeo) on Sep 12, 2019 at 7:49am PDT If you want a chance to see this rare moon, it will be full the night of Sept. 12 through Sept. 15; however, it will not be fully visible in Florida skies until its peak in the late hours of Friday the 13th into the early morning hours of the 14th. View this post on Instagram Harvest Moon 🌝 Wherever Pisces sits in your sun chart get ready for a special harvest! Click the link in bio to read what this moon brings for you sign! 🌕 🌻 🍁 #harvest #harvestmoon #falldecor #fall #autumn #autumnvibes🍁 #astrology #astrologyposts #horoscope #horoscopes #zodiacsigns #zodiac #moon #moons #moonritual A post shared by Psychic Source (@psychicsource) on Sep 12, 2019 at 6:18am PDT Not only is this a Harvest Moon, but it's also a Micro Moon; the name given to a moon that is farthest away in its elliptical path as it orbits Earth. This causes the moon to appear up to 30% smaller due to its increased distance from the planet, which can also decrease the typical brightness we expect from a harvest moon. You can expect to see something still quite bright, but tiny! The phenomena of a full moon landing on Friday the 13th is also rare in itself, the last one being on Oct. 13, 2000. If you miss out seeing this rare celestial event, you won't be able to see it again until August of 2049 according to Newsweek. You may want to find a great secluded spot away from light pollution to camp out or go gazing to get the full effect, such as Babcock Webb Wildlife Management Area or Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park — where you can actually see the Milkyway Galaxy on a clear night. View this post on Instagram Last weekend we went out to the middle of nowhere Florida to attempt to capture the Milky Way. After about 4 hours of thunderstorms the skies finally cleared up We could see the galaxy faintly with our eyes and it was very cool. This was a 25 second exposure with a bunch of Lightroom oomph added afterwards too #florida #astrophotography #nightphotography #floridastateparks A post shared by Nick (@minister_of_waffles) on Jun 3, 2019 at 4:16am PDT We can't wait for this magical moon to bless our skies. The expected peak time for Florida sky gazers to see this rare event will be 12:32 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14th. Keep your eyes on those skies! We strongly advise that before you go swimming or visit any location, you check the most recent updates on potential hazards, security, water quality, and closures. If you do plan to visit a location, respect the environment. There are stories everywhere! If you spot a newsworthy event in your city, send us a message, photo, or video @NarcityUSA on Facebook and Instagram.
