Great news for all the stargazers out there!
A ‘corn moon’ has been illuminating the US skies for last few days and you can still catch it today (September 2). This celestial event only tends to happen once every few years and this is first time the Full ‘Corn Moon’ has risen in September in 3 years. [Featured Image: jcsullivan24, Flickr]
So, lovers of space and stars, prepare your deck chairs or head to the beach because the final full moon of the summer is going to be a sight to behold. Local photographers have already managed to capture the magic as seen below, in this shot taken in Santa Monica.
According to NASA, the name ‘corn moon’ came about in the 1930s, when Maine Farmers Almanac published older native-American names for full moons.
“According to this almanac, as the full Moon in September and the last full moon of summer, the Algonquin tribes in what is now the northeastern USA called this the Corn Moon, as this was the time for gathering their main staple crops of corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice,” they explained.
“European names for this full moon are the Fruit Moon, as a number of fruits ripen as the end of summer approaches, and the Barley Moon, from the harvesting and threshing of the barley.”
The moon was visible this morning, but according to experts, the best time to catch it is between 7.18 p.m and 8:01 p.m. PDT tonight. So, set your alarms and take in the stunning full moon while you can.