September 12, 2011

    The Moon is full at 9:27 U.T. today. The Full Moon of September is called the Fruit Moon. This Full Moon will, of course, be the Harvest Moon for 2011, since it occurs closest to the autumnal equinox, just eleven days before the equinox this year.

   Because of the geometrical relationships, this particular Full Moon seems to rise at about the same time for many nights in a row for northern hemisphere observers. That is not the case for the other Full Moons of the year. In the spring, for example. The Moon will rise about two hours later each evening about the time of Full Moon.

    This would be a good time to become familiar with some asterisms in the sky. If you look in the east at about 8 o'clock local time, you will find the Great Square of Andromeda. Here is what you should see.

    The stars in the region of the sky tell the story of Andromeda, and her rescue by Perseus on his flying horse, Pegasus. The four stars making up the corners of the square are bright enough to be seen even in an urban setting. This star grouping is a certain sign of the approach of autumn.

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Updated July 11, 2011