Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech
On Thursday, September 7th, the Moon reaches Full. Although some people are referring to this Full Moon as the "Harvest Moon", they are mistaken. The Harvest Moon is the one which is closest to the Autumn Equinox. This year, the Harvest Moon is on October 6th. The Full Moon on September 7th is called the Full Corn Moon.
This is still a special event as Full Moons go. People in Central Asia -including our troops in Afghanistan- will see a partial lunar eclipse. As the moon goes into the Earth's shadow, observers will see a "bite" taken out of it.
The Moon's orbit around Earth is not perfectly circular. It's a slight ellipse. This September 7th marks the point where the moon gets it's closest to Earth. Astronomers call this closest point "perigee". Some areas of the world will see higher than normal tides when the moon is at perigee. (if you live on the Bay of Fundy let me know what you see). The opposite of perigee is "apogee", the term we use for when the moon is at it's furthest from Earth.
On Friday, September 8th, weather permitting, the Durham Region Astronomical Association will be holding a free public stargazing event at Purple Woods, just north of Oshawa. Everyone is invited! Of course, the moon will figure prominently. Maybe you and I can share the first views through my new telescope! This event is held in partnership with the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority -CLOCA .
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