Supermoon: What was behind the Harvest Moon?
You may have spotted a particularly bright moon last night - here's why
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Last night you may have noticed a particularly bright full moon, but what caused it?
The supermoon phenomenon, which occurs when a full or new moon makes it closest approach to the Earth on its elliptical orbit, last night coincided with the Harvest Moon over the British Isles.
The Harvest Moon is the full moon that falls closest to the Northern Hemisphere’s autumnal equinox on 22 September, its name deriving from the light it allowed farmers to gather their crops during harvesting.
Throughout the year the moon rises, on average, about 50 minutes later each day. However, near the autumnal equinox this difference shrinks to only 30 minutes as the moon’s orbital path makes a smaller angle with the evening horizon.
According to NASA the Harvest Moon, and other supermoons, appear 14 per cent larger and around 30 per cent brighter than usual moons.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments