Hollywood, MD—Literary geniuses throughout history have spoken beautiful, timeless words about the moon. Robert Frost coined our title phrase. The moon is a pure phenomenon; it’s our only natural satellite and its rotation is synchronized with ours. On Thursday Oct. 5 around 2:40 p.m., the Harvest Moon made its appearance for 2017.
The Harvest Moon is the full moon that rises closest to the autumnal equinox, or the first day of fall. Typically, the Harvest Moon occurs in September but in 2017, it made its appearance in the month that hosts Halloween. There are about 12 full moon cycles every year. What makes the Harvest Moon special?
You may have noticed this week that it looked as if we had several full moons a few days in a row. During the autumn months, the moon’s orbit is slightly tilted, so its 
position in the sky changes with each moonrise. Throughout the year, the moon appears about 50 minutes later each day. However, for several days in a row leading up to the Harvest Moon, it only rises about 30 minutes later in the United States. A 20-minute difference may not sound substantial, but it brings out significantly brighter nights.
The Harvest Moon may have received its moniker because during this time, farmers can work later in the evening harvesting their crops. The name dates back to the 1700s in Europe, but it has also been called the travel moon, dying grass moon, and even the blood orange moon. The latter is an appropriate name, as the Harvest Moon appears orange-colored right around dusk as the sun is setting.
The Harvest Moon is yet another lovely reminder that fall is here! For those interested in astronomy, NASA celebrates International Observe the Moon Night Oct. 28. This is a worldwide event that inspires appreciation and understanding of our glorious moon and its connection to planetary science.
Sometimes the best way to feel grounded is to look up.