The equinox arrives on September 23. That’s when the equinox sun is exactly above Earth’s equator, moving from north to south. At the equinox, days and nights are approximately equal in length. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is rising later now, and nightfall comes sooner.
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The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Corn Moon because the corn is harvested around this time of year. This moon is also known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox each year.
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The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Sturgeon Moon because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year.
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The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13.
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The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comet 96P/Machholz. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23. It peaks this year on the night of July 28 and morning of July 29.
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The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Buck Moon because the male buck deer would begin to grow their new antlers at this time of year. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year, producing a larger and more impressive set as the years go by.
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The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, this solstice will mark the beginning of summer and the longest day of the year with early dawns, long days, late sunsets, and short nights. The sun will be at its height each day, as it crosses the sky. Meanwhile, south of the equator, winter will begin.
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The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Strawberry Moon because it signaled the time of year to gather ripening fruit. It also coincides with the peak of the strawberry harvesting season. This name has been used by Algonquin, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples, among others, to mark the ripening of “June-bearing” strawberries that are ready to be gathered. The Haida term Berries Ripen Moon reflects this as well. As flowers bloom and early fruit ripens, June is a time of great abundance for many.
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The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Flower Moon because as the season of spring progresses, the days grow longer and the weather improves, inspiring plants everywhere to “spring forth” and blossom. By May, winter’s cold grip has loosened and many plants take the opportunity to produce flowers at this time. Due to this, May’s full Moon has traditionally been known as the Flower Moon.
This moon has also been known as the Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes completely through the Earth’s dark shadow, or umbra. During this type of eclipse, the Moon will gradually get darker and then take on a rusty or blood red color. The eclipse will be visible throughout all of North America, Greenland, the Atlantic Ocean, and parts of western Europe and western Africa. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
Irene W. Pennington Planetarium 