The summer of 2023 has been a treat for full moon fans. Since July, we have seen 4 supermoons in a row, including the rare Super Blue Moon Moon of August and this weekend, the ultimate supermoon of the yr, the Harvest Moon of September, gave skywatchers the ultimate lunar thrill of the season.
When the moon is at or near its perigee, the closest point in its orbit with Earth, it could possibly appear as much as 30% brighter and 14% larger within the sky, though it’s typically hard to identify for casual full moon observer. When this happens, it’s called a supermoon.
September’s full moon on Sept. 29 can also be often called the Harvest Moon, reflective of the beginning of harvest season within the Northern Hemisphere, and was the fourth in a series of supermoons that began in July (with two in August resulting from the Blue Moon).This yr has been an especially fortunate yr for supermoon lovers, with a yearlong wait ahead before one will rise again. The subsequent supermoon won’t occur until the subsequent Harvest Moon in September 2024.
To capture the event for Space.com, I headed out to the roof a downtown parking garage. which offered the right vantage point to see the moon through some metal scaffolding on an adjoining roof in Bloomington, Indiana. But perhaps a more breathtaking view occurred later that evening from the bridge across Bloomington’s Lake Monroe, where the moon graced the water with its reflection because it rose Friday night, sending shimmering ripples as nearby boats headed to the ports to dock for the night.
September full moon 2023 guide: The Super Harvest Moon joins Jupiter and Saturn
Though the supermoon’s difference in size will not be all the time apparent to someone vulnerable to occasional glances on the moon, astute observers – especially those eyeing through binoculars or a telescope – can see the difference.
This week’s full moon peaked at 5:57 a.m. EDT (0957 GMT) Friday, Sept. 29, in response to Within the Sky, and remained incredibly full and brilliant when it rose again Friday, through the night and into Saturday morning.
Because the Harvest supermoon sailed across the September skies, photographers all over the world took advantage of the added lighting, and shot some great photos for 2023’s final supermoon.
“I used two telescopes to capture this super detailed shot of the Full Harvest Moon right because it cleared the clouds,” astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy wrote on X, formerly often called Twitter, after the total moon. “I live for these moments.”
I used two telescopes to capture this super detailed shot of the Full Harvest Moon right because it cleared the clouds. I live for these moments. pic.twitter.com/QPzrpQIuvPSeptember 29, 2023
In Germany, fairgoers on the annual Oktoberfest festival in Munich got a surprising view of the total Harvest Moon while swinging on a seated carousel ride and was captured by photographer Christof Stache of the AFP for Getty Images.
Sometimes, more earthly sights can amplify our view of the total moon. Matt Lantz captured this stunning view of the Harvest Moon setting behind a mesquite tree early on Friday in Parker County, Texas.
The 2023 Harvest Supermoon setting behind a mesquite tree this morning in Parker County, Texas.#ParkerCounty #Texas #moon #fullmoon #supermoon #harvestmoon #dfwwx #txwx pic.twitter.com/5blAaJVS5ESeptember 29, 2023
Patience is all the time key in astrophotography and it’s on full display on this stunning composition of 14 different images of the Harvest Moon rising over Calascio, Italy. Photographer Lorenzo Di Cola of NurPhoto for Getty Images captured the photographs and assembled right into a single mosaic to point out the moon’s rising in stages.
Di Cola had a picturesque backdrop to watch the Harvest Moon. Along with his mosaic image, he also captured a surprising view of the total moon rising behind Rocca Calascio castle and Santa Maria della Pietà church in Calascio.
Full moons can often light up the night sky. But skywatcher Olly Griffin combined that night light with one in every of a more human-built kind to snap a surprising view of the Harvest Moon shining over Poolberg Lighthouse in Dublin, Ireland.
The #HarvestMoon made a transient appearance through the cloud at the enduring Poolbeg Lighthouse…#StormHour @AstronomyIRL #KeepDiscovering @VisitDublin pic.twitter.com/Kwj2dqCenCSeptember 30, 2023
If you happen to are hoping to catch a have a look at the Harvest Moon, our guides to the most effective telescopes and binoculars are an amazing place to start out.
If you happen to’re trying to snap photos of the night sky basically, try our guide on find out how to photograph meteor showers, in addition to our greatest cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s Note: If you happen to snap a picture of the Harvest Moon and would really like to share it with Space.com’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and placement to spacephotos@space.com.