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Astro*Dictionary by Michael Erlewine

 

 

 

 

2 articles for "Harvest Moon"

Harvest Moon [Astro*Index]

Harvest Moon relates to the timing of the autumnal equinox (September 22 or 23) with the full Moon that occurs nearest to the equinox.

See also:
♦ Lunar ♦ Full Moon
Harvest Moon [DeVore]

At this season of the year the Moon's path more nearly parallels that of the Earth, hence it remains near to the horizon for several days, at the same hour. Similarly with the Hunter's Moon, which is the nearest Full Moon to September 23rd. This effect is further intensified when the descending node is at 0° Aries. For example, with the Ascending node at 0° Aries : 23° 27', Plus 5° 9', equals 28° 36'. With the Descending node at 0° Aries : 23° 27', minus 5° 9', equals 18° 18°'. The Full Moon rides low in Summer but high in Winter, thus making Winter the season of least sunlight but of most moonlight.

Moonlight contains streaks of bright rays, apparently from some special mineral that fails to absorb light, or which may have some such property as radio-activity - to conjecture on a point regarding which scientists fail to agree. The rays consist largely of shades of yellow and gray, and from certain areas a shade of green. The Earth's surface has a reflective power six times greater than that of the Moon.

The Lunar spectrum is much the same as that of the Sun, except that the light is yellower, and more diffused because of the roughness of the Moon's surface. At the quarter, the Moon's light has a brilliance of onemillionth that of the Sun; at the Full, 1/465 thousandths. However, the Moon absorbs 93% of the light it could reflect.

The Moon's aspects by Right Ascension differ some minutes from those by Geocentric Longitude.

Tropical period minus Precession from 0° Aries : 6.9 seconds per period.

The color white is often associated with the Moon to symbolize purity. That it is chemically white is due to the absence of all color. Prismatically it is the presence of all colors of the spectrum, or the three primary colors in the proportions of three parts of yellow, five of red, and eight of blue.

See also:
♦ Lunar ♦ Full Moon

 

Astro*Index Copyright © 1997 Michael Erlewine