Friday, September 4, 2020

Corn Moon - 2020

I woke at 2:00 and noticed the light through the skylight. I figured the moon was bright and went outside to take a look. 

It's one of the things I miss when I'm in town: those incredible orange balls that rise up from below the horizon; then hover overhead for hours. Sometimes I wonder why it doesn't seem to move for hours and other times (in the winter) it seems to drop quite suddenly.




I miss the simple pleasure of just waking in the night and seeing it go over and change....and telling it hello, and Good Night.

I hadn't heard of the Corn Moon. Then she-of-the-Capri told of it. Here's an article by Sophie Lewis I lifted from the web.

(Link to Ms. Lewis' article)


A full "Corn Moon" rises tonight — and it only happens once every three years

The final full moon of the summer rises bright in the night sky on Tuesday. Known as the "Corn Moon," it only happens once every three years. 

September's full moon was given its name by the Algonquin tribes living in the northeastern U.S., according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. They named it for the time of year when they harvested staple crops like corn, pumpkins, squash, beans and wild rice.

According to NASA, this full moon is also known at the Fruit Moon and Barley Moon in Europe, the Hungry Ghost Moon in China, the Binara Pura Pasalosvaka Poya Day in Sri Lanka and the Honey Full Moon for Buddhists in Bangladesh and Thailand. For Hindus in India, it marks the end of the 10-day celebration of Onam and the start of Pitri Paksha, which honors their ancestors through food offerings. 

NASA also refers to this full moon as the GRAIL Moon, the LADEE moon and the OSIRIS-REx Moon to mark three missions that launched on the day of the full moon, in 2011, 2013 and 2016, respectively. 

Typically, September's full moon is called the Harvest moon, because it is the closest to the fall equinox on September 22. But every third year, a full moon comes in October that is closer to the equinox, allowing September's full moon to use its traditional name, the Corn Moon. 

This year, the Harvest moon won't arrive until October 1. That means October gets two full moons — the other is a Blue Moon, occurring on Halloween, October 31. 

The full moon will rise just after sunset on Tuesday, September 1, reaching peak illumination at 1:22 A.M. EST early Wednesday morning, NASA said. The moon will appear full for about three days around this time, and skywatchers may also be able to see Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury in the night sky around this time. 

"As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon," NASA said. 

"And you might want to gather your fruits, vegetables, and other staples; avoid war; remember your ancestors; ask for forgiveness; and let go of grudges," the space agency added, referencing the customs of various religions and cultures during the month of September. "Here's wishing you have a good year!" 


First published on September 1, 2020 / 3:18 PM

© 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Sophie Lewis

Sophie Lewis is a social media producer and trending writer for CBS News, focusing on space and climate change. 

6 comments:

  1. We had a beautiful sunrise yesterday with the corn moon still in the sky. I’m a fan of the corn moon and avoiding war. Letting go of grudges? That’s a tough one for me.

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    1. Hmm, interesting.

      Somehow you don't *seem* as if you'd have that difficulty.

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    2. What do you think fosters that longevity?

      Our neighbor, eight years later, STILL resents (and gets revenge whenever the opportunity occurs) me complaining to the City after four months of calling him late at night and asking him to please stop his dogs from barking.

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    3. My grudges don't tend to be over petty things. In answer to your question though, Julia would say that I believe in my ability to influence (control) outcomes more than I should. Maybe as I get older, I will learn to let go. But maybe not.


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  2. In the Midwest it's called a 'harvest moon.' My personal goal is to be out of the Twin Cities and 'up north' for each full moon. Tonight we may have the first frost of the fall (32 degrees). That will start the southward movement of migratory waterfowl. In a good year large flocks of geese will pass in the night backlit by a full moon. By November the moon will be reflected in the lake ice. In the absence of moons we have the stars which is an entirely more distant topic.

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  3. The Twin Cities, eh? How 'bout if I stop by next summer on my way to Quebec?

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