Rare October Harvest Moon Peaks Tonight

EDMONDS, WA - Over the next two nights, the moon will be super. The 2017 harvest moon will reach its peak Thursday night, although it will appear almost as big and bright on Friday.

The harvest moon is the first full moon after the autumnal equinox, Sept. 22. The harvest moon commonly happens in September, but 2017 is one of only 18 years through 2050 when it happens in October. The last time this happened was in 2009.

This year, the harvest moon will appear bigger than usual and will have an orange hue. The moon looks bigger when it's rising and setting due to the "moon illusion," where the moon looks bigger because of how close it is to the horizon.

On Thursday morning, early birds caught a glimpse of this illusion as the orange harvest moon set behind the Olympic Mountains around 6:55 a.m.

The harvest moon gets its name from folklore - farmers used its bright light to harvest crops well into the night, and its arrival signified that crops were ready to pick.

The forecast for Thursday night calls for clear skies around Puget Sound. So if you want to see the full moon, just look up.

Image via National Weather Service