In September we will see the last of the four supermoons visible in 2023. When the Moon rises on September 29th it will be closer to the Earth than normal, and consequently will appear to be around 7% larger than normal. This will make a wonderful sight. Of course, cloud can spoil the occasion.
The average distance between the Moon and the Earth is 238,900 miles, (384,472 km). When the Moon is closer than that we have a supermoon. The Moon in September will be 224,657 miles (361,552km).
Traditionally September was the month when the crops were harvested; a time of year that was vital to local economies across the country. Harvesting the crops as quickly as possible was crucial in ensuring that people had enough food for winter. This is why the full moon we see this month is probably the best known of all: the Harvest Moon.
At this time of year, when the Sun sets, the Moon rises, which in pre-mechanised times meant that when farmers were harvesting they were not restricted to the normal hours of daylight. In medieval times all the harvesting was done by hand so it took much longer than methods used today. The moonlight allowed people from entire villages to work throughout the night. (Of course, the Moon does not shine, so when we refer to ‘moonlight’ we really mean reflected sunlight). The extra light a couple of days either side of full moon meant that the farmers would hopefully harvest enough to survive the coming winter and have enough to sell at the markets, which at this time were the lynch pins of the economy.
www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk
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