At 3:05 p.m. EDT (1905 GMT) on Sept. 16 or 17, 2016, the moon will pass through the very outer region of the earth's shadow - a phenomenon called the penumbral eclipse.
It will only create a very faint dimming of the full moon. The moon will appear full before and after that day.
According to Andrea Jones, education specialist for the Planetary Science Institute, the moon is a very obvious time keeper for ancient civilizations. It is for this reason that the full moon has acquired different names.
In Northern Hemisphere when autumn begins in September, the Harvest moon surfaces. Soon, it will become the Hunter's moon, the Beaver moon and the Cold moon.
Depending on the year, the Harvest moon can come anywhere from two weeks before to two weeks after the autumn equinox.
It provides full-looking views near the horizon after sunset for several evenings in a row. What makes this phenomenon unique is the experience of having several full moons for straight nights.
The 2016 Harvest moon will be bigger-than-average. What makes it larger and orange in color is its location which is near the horizon. It lasts only for around 35 minutes which is typically shorter than the average moon presence.
As the moon orbits the earth, the angle between the sun, the moon and the earth clears up to 180 degrees. The three celestial bodies will assume a straight line formation with the human planet in the middle. It means that the side of the moon facing the earth is completely lit up by the sun.
It also means that the moon sets at sunrise and rises at sunset. Usually, a rising Harvest moon has a bright orange color and the hue hangs longer in the evening than it does with a regular full moon because the harvest view rises at a lower angle.
Whenever people view the sun, the moon or any astronomical thing close to the horizon, a lot of the earth's atmosphere is seen. The dust and moisture scatter away all except the reddish orange components of the moon's light.
