Super Harvest Moon Autumnal Equinox September 2010 Rare Treat in the Skies

Grab your cameras, set out the telescopes! For all you Twilight fans (ha!), no, I mean REAL twilight fans of the night skies, prepare yourselves...It's the SuperHarvest Moon! We have a full moon to welcome the Autumnal Equinox.

The full moon closest to the Fall Equinox or Autumnal Equinox has always been referred to as the Harvest Moon.

For the first time in two decades, the Sun will sink as the full Moon rises exactly opposite to it on the day the summer ends, creating an amazing fully sky twilight show as well as Jupiter being in conjunction (right beside the glowing orb).

This night also shares the spotlight with the "Healing for the Gulf" which takes place every full moon. - A get-together to focus on sending healing energy out into the Gulf after the oil spill to "heal the gulf". Read more about it HERE.

Northern summer changes to fall on Sept. 22nd at 11:09 pm EDT. At that precise moment, called the autumnal equinox, the Harvest Moon can be found soaring high overhead with the planet Jupiter right beside it. The two brightest objects in the night sky will be in spectacular conjunction to mark the change in seasons.

"If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, today is the autumnal equinox and a Super Harvest Moon will cross the sky after almost 20 years since the last time it happened. When the Sun starts to set on the Western horizon, a full moon will rise opposite to it on the East, reflecting the light of our home star.

Being close to the horizon, the orange Moon will be gigantic thanks to a psychological effect called the Moon illusion. The sky will be illuminated by the Sun and the Moon at the same time, creating a weird 360-degree effect that is rarely seen.

Not only the sky watchers saw the 'wine moon' ushering the equinox, they also witnessed Jupiter shining bright, commemorating the onset of autumn."

Narrating the beautiful astronomical event, a person named George W. Hatcher stated on Twitter, "Autumn equinox; Moon, Jupiter & Uranus in opposition ..it fills me with wonder to see so much in the sky.

Another sky gazer named 'GroupofUs' tweeted, "Autumnal Equinox at the Harvest moon - and a spectacular Jupiter above it before sunrise! What a MOON! happy Autumn everyone!!"

A harvest moon during equinox is a rarity. It last happened on Sept. 23, 1991, and the next will not been seen before 2029.

Understanding the Autumnal Equinox
The Autumnal Equinox, or Fall Equinox of September always happens on Sept. 22 or 23 each year. As the word equinox stands for equal, the day and night are approximately equally long on this day.

"Though the days and nights are said to be equal on this day, it is not true for places that are farther away from equator. In fact, the days are longer in these location. Even when the sun sets, "it does not set straight down - it moves in a horizontal direction."

Autumnal Equinox Fall Equinox Celebrations
From as far back as ancient times, the autumnal equinox has been associated with celebrations.

"In Japan the autumnal equinox is being observed as a national holiday since the Meiji period (1868-1912). During this time, a week of Buddhist services is observed in the country."

"The day also is important for the Christians. As it marks the start of autumn, Christians churches observe Michaelmas, the Feast of Michael and All Angels, near the equinox."

"In China, Mid-Autumn Festival, associated with celebrating the abundance of the summer's harvest, is observed near this time period."

"In ancient Greece, people celebrated the harvesting of grapes for wine on this day"

The celebrations continue to this day all over the world.

To Celebrate the full moon autumnal equinox or fall equinox of Sept 2010

You don't need to do anything special to enjoy the show, just get ready for the sunset. Make sure to have a clear view to both East and West.

In NYC, the event will happen at 6:54pm. You can check the time in your city here.

And as an added bonus, when the summer ends at 11:09pm Eastern Time, Jupiter will appear right next to the Moon.

The Equinox is a moment of balance, of quiet, of stillness, as the Sun passes over the Equator from North to South. We have reached the time of Harvest, and a few hours later, the Aries Harvest Full Moon will reach its peak. A moment of perfect balance, made sacred by the self-awareness we need to cultivate on a full Moon as well as at this time of year. With the arrival of the harvest season, this year 2010 comes to its maturity. We have choices to make, about our personal harvests and about our world, and the cycle of the year demands that we make those choices with our eyes wide open and our hearts filled with a passion for life. That passion for life will get us through the Winter to come.-read the rest of Cathy Lynn Pagano's "equinox reading" article here .
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harvest moon 2010, super harvest moon, moon phases 2010, full moon calendar, autumnal equinox phenomenon, Jupiter in conjunction, september 23,2010.

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REsources and MORE reading:

Healing for the Gulf on every full moon! you can do it from anywhere you are!

http://www.themoneytimes.com/featured/20100923/september-equinox-2010-harvest-moon-jupiter-usher-autumn-id-10129387.html

For OpEdNews: Cathy Lynn Pagano

Autumn Equinox & Aries Full Moon September 23, 2010

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Autumn-Equinox--Aries-Ful-by-Cathy-Lynn-Pagano-100920-424.html

Google Search for autumnal equinox sept 2010 super harvest moon

More at EarthSky.org
http://earthsky.org/tonight/harvest-moon-jupiter-accompany-september-2010-equinox