Bringing a close to an astronomical summer, filled with four stunning cosmic events, the 2014 Harvest Moon will be the third and final supermoon we can expect to see this year in the Northern Hemisphere. Reaching its fullest phase this evening, Sept. 8, at 9:38pm EDT, the Harvest supermoon will bring in the autumn with a bright and stunning display of Earth's only satellite.
The nearest full moon to the September equinox, when daylight and nightlight will run on equal schedules, tonight's supermoon has taken on the annual moniker of Harvest Moon.
The third and final supermoon of this summer's cosmic trilogy, tonight's full moon will again be reached in the moon's perigee phase, when its orbit is closest to the Earth. Though this past Augusts' full moon, known as the extra-supermoon, was the closest the Earth will be to the moon until 2034, the perigee supermoon tonight will also be abnormally large and brighter than most. Estimated to appear 16% larger and 30% brighter than normal at moonrise, the supermoon is a rare occasion that we have fortunately been in abundance of this summer, and will bring a close to a record-breaking streak of events.
With such vivid detail and bright contrast to the night sky, the event will be most noticeable at moonrise when a phenomenon known simply as the "moon illusion" will take place. A trick played on the mind, as a way to mitigate the sensory overload of the magnificent sight, the supermoon will appear unbelievably large against the dark night sky.
"The '[moon] illusion' occurs when the Moon is near the horizon" a team from NASA says. "For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, low-hanging Moons look unnaturally large when they beam through trees, buildings and other foreground objects."
Though receiving its claim to fame from the agricultural industry, the Harvest Moon's best attribute is that on average it rises 50 minutes later each day, giving us more light in the day and brighter moonlit evenings for its three-night stint.
Over the course of the three evenings, Sept. 7 through Sept. 9, the moon will rise approximately 38 minutes late and will be a stunning display of light throughout the night. If you haven't been fortunate enough to catch the other supermoons this summer, tonight's event is assuredly something you won't want to miss. For streaming information and more news on the supermoon seen 'round the world, please visit: www.space.com or www.live.slooh.com
