Can anyone explain to me about the harvest moon and exactly what that means?

Answer 1

It is the full moon that signals a change of the season.

It is important to know when to start planting and harvesting crops, originally religion was developed to help determine this. Stonehenge is just one of many monuments that were designed to predict this. The harvest moon in March is a guide to when it is best time to start harvesting crops.

The moon rises 30 minutes later so this time can be predicted and observed making it a good clue for societies that didn't have clocks or only crude calendars.

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon
"The Harvest Moon is the full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox, which occurs (in the northern hemisphere) on or about September 23rd, and in the southern hemisphere on or about March 21st. Its physical characteristics - rising time, path across the sky - are similar to those of the Hunter's moon.

Harvest Moon and Hunter's Moon are special, because around the time of these full moons, the time difference between moonrise on successive evenings is shorter than usual. In other words, the moon rises approximately 30 minutes later, from one night to the next, as seen from about 40 degrees N. or S. latitude, for several evenings around the full Hunter's or Harvest Moons. Thus there is no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise around the time following these full moons. In times past this feature of these autumn moons was said to help farmers working to bring in their crops (or, in the case of the Hunter's Moon, hunters tracking their prey). They could continue being productive by moonlight even after the sun had set. Hence the name Harvest (or Hunter's) Moon."

Answer 2

The Harvest Moon is the full moon of September. Traditionally, it is also the time of the autumn harvest.

The significance of the harvest moon is interesting. During each night, the moon rises and sets, tracing an arc in the sky. The Moon's orbit is tilted about 5% to the Earth's rotational plane. During the Solstices, the ecliptic traces an arc to the north or south in the sky (depending on time of year and which hemisphere you at in). As such, the Moon's arc across the sky is also tilted.

The Moon thus makes a shallower rise and set against the horizon during the Solstices. During the Equinoxes however, the angle is steeper - the Moon seems to 'jump up' into the sky from night to night due to the more perpendicular angle of the orbit.

This effect causes the 30 min change is rise times as mentioned in the other replies. Thus, the harvesters had more moonlight in which to complete harvest activities.

Answer 3

The Harvest Moon is no ordinary full moon; it behaves in a special way. Throughout the year the Moon rises, on average, about 50 minutes later each day. But near the autumnal equinox, which comes this year on Sept. 22nd, the day-to-day difference in the local time of moonrise is only 30 minutes. The Moon will rise around sunset tonight--and not long after sunset for the next few evenings.

That comes in handy for northern farmers who are working long days to harvest their crops before autumn. The extra dose of lighting afforded by the full Moon closest to the equinox is what gives the Harvest Moon its name. In the southern hemisphere, this week's full Moon behaves in exactly the opposite way: there will be an extra long time between moonrises from one evening to the next.

Answer 4

Its just a name.
Its the full moon closest to the fall equinox, and the name probably comes from the fact that its the full moon that occurs around harvest time.

The full moons in each month all have a colloquial name:
January - Wolf moon
February - Ice moon
March - Storm moon
April - Growing moon
May - Hare or Flower moon
June - Mead, Strawberry, or Rose moon
July - Hay moon
August - Corn moon
September - Harvest, Wine, or Singing moon
October - Hunter's moon
November - Snow moon
December - Winter moon

Answer 5

it is the first full moon near the fall equinox.

check this link for more info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon