The Harvest Moon or Kojagiri Purnima is the first full moon of autumn season in the Northern Hemisphere. This falls around the end of September or beginning of October after the autumn equinox.
When is it in 2018?
The Harvest Moon or Kojagiri Purnima is split over two days the 23rd and 24th of October, 2018.
Why is it called the Harvest Moon?
At the beginning of autumn the moon’s angle with earth is such that it rises or appears in the sky earlier than usual after sunset. This creates a halo of the early glow of the moon in the sky quite soon after the sunlight recedes post sunset. Because of this phenomenon the darkness in the twilight hours is reduced.
Prior to the advent of electricity or electric lights this little early moon light afforded the farmers and folks working outdoors a few extra minutes to gather the harvested crops before darkness fell on those nights. That is how this full moon became the “harvest moon”. Continue reading “What is Kojagiri Purnima and the Harvest Moon?”
