The Harvest Moon, which is the full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox (September 22nd), is named for its timing. Historically, it provided farmers and others who relied on harvesting goods, such as Indigenous peoples, with additional hours of daylight to finish their harvest before the onset of winter. This year, the moonrise is scheduled for 7:08 PM CT, just two minutes after sunset at 7:10 PM CT. This rare alignment of moonrise and sunset offers a unique opportunity for continuous light. The Harvest Moon is one of the few full moons that rises so close to the sunset.

According to Ojibwe.net, in Anishinaabemowin, the September full moon is known as Manoominike-giizis (Ricing Moon) or Waatebagaa-giizis (Leaves Turning Moon) in Western dialect, and Waagaabagaa-giizis (Leaves Turning Moon), Waabagaa Giizis (Leaves-Turning-Colors Moon), and Mdaamin-giizis (Corn Moon) in Eastern dialect. 

As an added bonus, the Harvest Moon is also the second of four consecutive supermoons in 2024, which means it may appear bigger and brighter in the sky. Officially, NASA states that a "supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time the Moon is full."

Ready for even more? 

In addition to being a full supermoon that rises at almost the same time as the sun sets, there will also be a partial lunar eclipse, which will peak around 9:45 CT tonight. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth's shadow partially covers the Moon. According to NASA, during tonight's event, the Moon will appear to be partially darkened by about 8% as it passes through Earth's penumbra (outer shadow). The timing of the partial lunar eclipse will coincide closely with when the full moon will peak, which will take place around 9:35 pm CT, according to NASA. 

As for the weather, the forecast for Cook County, Minnesota, on the evening of September 17 calls for partly cloudy skies. This should (hopefully) provide a chance of decent viewing conditions for both the Harvest Moon and the partial lunar eclipse.