Harvest Moon Tonight; Full Moon Muse to Music; Venus and Saturn Also In View (Video) (Audio)

Harvest moon tonight. The harvest moon has been the inspiration to songs and poems. Artists from Rosemary Clooney to Neil Young have heard its call.

The harvest moon is no different from other moons. The harvest moon isn’t brighter or bigger. The harvest moon doesn’t appear in another color. The harvest moon appears to be visible longer.

The harvest moon is also known as the Full Corn Moon because it comes at harvest time. The Harvest Moon was known to help farmers harvest their crops into the night.

EarthSky said “In the days before tractor lights, the lamp of the Harvest Moon helped farmers to gather their crops, despite the diminishing daylight hours. As the sun’s light faded in the west, the moon would soon rise in the east to illuminate the fields throughout the night.”

Steve Edberg, an astronomer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told the Los Angeles Times "People are more likely to notice it because it has this effect that looks like it hasn't really changed positions, and it seems like it is hanging around a lot longer."

The full moon you see tonight is called the harvest moon because it is the closest full moon to the fall equinox. The fall equinox marks the official start of autumn and happens Sunday.

The equinox happens when the Earth isn't tilted toward the sun or away from it. During the equinox the length of days and nights are almost exactly the same worldwide. The equinox happens twice a year.

Because of the tilt of the moon's orbit in September, the moon rises at about the same time that the sun is setting for a few days after the full moon. Usually the moon rises at sunset only on the day it is full and then rises about an hour later each subsequent day.

The harvest moon is associated with the fall. The harvest moon is the fourth moon of the summer season.

According to the Farmer's Almanac, the moon usually rises about 50 minutes later each night. The harvest moon rise is shorter by about 25 to 30 minutes in the U.S.

Skywatchers can also see Venus and Saturn in the sky tonight. Earth Sky says “Although Saturn shines as brilliantly as a first-magnitude star, Venus outshines Saturn by about 80 times. If you can’t see Saturn on these September evenings, try aiming binoculars at Venus to spot Saturn nearby. Venus and Saturn will occupy the same binocular field of view from about September 15 to September 21.”