harvest moon

I just got the following note from an astronomy observer.

Watch it right in your front yard---

Summer usually ends on Sept 21 or Sept 22 (the equinox.) This year it ends at ~02h15 UTC on Sept. 23rd, i.e. 11:15 EDT tonight.

And it's the full Moon tonight, making it the last full Moon before the equinox, a.k.a. the Harvest Moon.

And tonight's moonrise occurs just before sunset, so the Earth will briefly be illuminated by both the Sun from the West and the Sun's light reflected by the Moon from the East.

And the full Moon usually looks huge at moonrise due to an optical illusion.

Enjoy.