September

Shine on, Harvest Moon

Die Heurnte (Hay Harvest), 1855 By Ford Maddox Brown

Throughout the year the Moon rises, on average, about 50 minutes later each day. But near the autumnal equinox, the day-to-day difference in the local time of moonrise is only 30 minutes. The Moon will rise around sunset and not long after sunset for the next few evenings. This is a big help to Northern Hemisphere farmers during harvest because it provides extra light for harvesting crops.

• Students will research online to find when the harvest moon is expected this year.
• Students will observe and chart the harvest moon as a homework assignment.

Autumn begins September 22

Full Moon Names (Old Farmer's Almanac)

Traditional moon names come from Native American lore and other events from long ago related to the time of year. Students will think about what happens during each month of the year and give the full moons names related to their own experiences.