METRO DETROIT (WWJ) - Fall stargazers will be treated to a very special sight overnight Thursday into Friday as the last supermoon of the year is set to shine.
September's brilliant Moon, dubbed the Harvest Moon, will begin rising Thursday evening and reach the peak of its full phase around 6 a.m. ET Friday, Space.com stated.
It can also be visible after nightfall on Friday evening.
According to the Old Farmers Almanac, the Harvest Moon is the only lunar event that isn't tied to a specific month. While the Harvest Moon does typically occur in September, but every three years it falls in October. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the Harvest Moon relates to the timing of the autumnal equinox, Sept. 23, with the full Moon that happens closest to the equinox being the one to take on the moniker of "Harvest Moon."
Thursday's full Moon signifies the end-of-summer harvests. Old Farmer's Almanac said the Harvest Moon is called such because the moonrise comes soon after sunset, resulting in an "abundance of bright moonlight early in the evening."
The additional light helped farmers and crews see while harvesting their summer-grown crops.
Thursday's Moon will also be a supermoon -- the last such occurrence this year -- meaning Earth's celestial neighbor will appear massive and more brilliant due to the "moon illusion," experts say.
American astronomer Bob Berman said most people believe the earth's atmosphere has some part to play in the optical illusion, but the answer is much simpler.
"When the Moon is high overhead, it is dwarfed by the vast hemisphere of the heavens and appears to our eyes as a small disk in the sky," he explained.
"By contrast, when the Moon is low, it is viewed in relation to earthly objects, such as chimneys or trees, whose size and shape provide scale. Your brain compares the size of the Moon to the trees, buildings, or other reference points, and suddenly, the Moon looks massive!"
If stargazers happen to miss the Harvest Moon, the next supermoon won't happen until late summer in 2024.
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