The full corn moon peaks tonight
While the weather forecast tonight is very promising for viewing opportunities, the full corn moon will peak at 1:22 am.
Heavy cloud cover is expected until noon Wednesday, so later this week will likely be a chance to catch a September full moon. It will appear full for the next three nights.
The September full moon was known as the corn moon and barley moon by some Native American cultures because it comes at harvest time for these essential crops.
It is also often known as the Harvest Moon, which is the full moon closest to the fall equinox. That first day of fall is September 22, which means the next full moon on October 1 will be the harvest moon.
Here are some lunar facts from Espace.com:
With a diameter of about 2,159 miles, the Moon is just over a quarter the size of Earth.
Various theories have been put forward regarding the origin of the Moon, but recent evidence indicates that it formed when something large collided with the Earth and tore off a huge chunk of it.
The Moon is rocky and pockmarked with craters formed by asteroid impacts millions of years ago. Because there is no time, the craters have not eroded.
The average composition of the lunar surface by weight is about 43% oxygen, 20% silicon, 19% magnesium, 10% iron, 3% calcium, 3% aluminum, 0.42% chromium, 0.18% titanium and 0.12% manganese.
Ongoing observations from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have shown that there is water on the Moon, although scientists warn that the amount is comparable to an extremely dry desert.
The Moon has a very thin atmosphere, so a layer of dust – or a footprint – can sit still for centuries.
And, without a lot of atmosphere, heat is not retained near the surface, so temperatures vary wildly. Daytime temperatures on the sunny side of the Moon reach 273 degrees Fahrenheit, while on the dark side it is as cold as minus 243 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Contact Marcus Schneck at [email protected].
