Harvest Moon

The Full Moon closest to the fall equinox (this weekend) rises soon after sunset on several consecutive evenings. During this period, the time between successive moonrises is relatively short. Traditionally, this bright moonlinght allowed farmers additional time after sunset to bring in their crops, hence the term Harvest Moon. The reason for the shorter-than-usual rising time between successive moonrises around the time of the Harvest and Hunter's Moon is that the ecliptic — the plane of Earth's orbit around the sun — makes a narrow angle with respect to the horizon in the evening in autumn.

JupiterMoon These two celestial bodies appear together in the evening and at sunset today and tomorrow.

MercuryJoinsMarsVenusMornings From about September 28 to October 23, Mercury can be seen in the morning sky.

PegasusSquare The fall sky is anchored by the large Square of Pegasus. Four bright stars make up the corners. On one side are two sets of diagonal stars; one set points to Markab, the other to Scheat. The other two stars making up Pegasus are Alpheratz and Algenib.