Full Moon in September 2024: Don’t Miss the Triple Combo!
Enjoy a Supermoon on September 18 — a Full Moon that will appear bigger and brighter than usual! To make it even better, a partial lunar eclipse will accompany it. Use the Sky Tonight app to find out when the Supermoon will be visible from your location, and read on to discover why this Full Moon is also called the Harvest Moon.
Contents
- When is the Full Moon in September 2024?
- September Supermoon
- Partial lunar eclipse in September 2024
- Harvest Moon meaning
- When is the next Full Moon?
- September Full Moon 2024: Conclusion
When is the Full Moon in September 2024?
This month, the Full Moon will occur on September 18 at 02:34 GMT (September 17, 10:34 p.m. EDT). At this time, our natural satellite will lie in the constellation Pisces, with the bright golden dot Saturn shining nearby.
The exact timing is not crucial for observing a Full Moon, as it will appear round and bright to the naked eye for a few days. You can enjoy the Full Moon from about September 17 to September 19.
A Full Moon rises in the east at sunset and sets in the west shortly before dawn. For a special view, try catching it near the horizon, where it takes on a beautiful orange hue due to atmospheric refraction. Plus, this Full Moon will be a Supermoon, meaning the lunar disk will look larger and brighter than usual!
If you notice the Moon looking a bit strange on the night of September 17-18, don't worry — it’s not the apocalypse yet! It's just a shallow partial lunar eclipse, where the Moon's disk will appear slightly darkened with a small "bite" taken out of it. Read our dedicated article to see where exactly this event will be visible.
Moon phases in September 2024
- 🌑 New Moon: September 3, 01:55 GMT (September 2, 9:55 p.m. EDT)
- 🌓 First Quarter: September 11, 06:06 GMT (02:06 a.m. EDT)
- 🌕 Full Moon: September 18, 02:34 GMT (September 17, 10:34 p.m. EDT)
- 🌗 Last Quarter: September 24, 18:50 GMT (02:50 p.m. EDT)
The easiest way to check the current lunar phase is by visiting the lunar calendar on the starwalk.space website or in the Sky Tonight app. You'll find all the essential details, including moonrise and moonset times, the illumination percentage of the lunar disk, and more.
September Supermoon
The September Full Moon in 2024 is featured in the table of Supermoons by former NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak. It’s noted as the second Supermoon in a series of four occurring at the end of 2024.
This Full Moon is also included in the list of Supermoons by Richard Nolle, the astrologer who coined the term "Supermoon". This means that this Full Moon will occur near the perigee and will appear slightly larger and brighter in the sky than regular Full Moons.
Check our special article to learn why there are two tables of Supermoons, and how they differ.
By the way, there is also the opposite of a Supermoon — a Micromoon! As you might have guessed, it looks smaller than a regular Full Moon. See the Supermoons & Micromoons infographic for a detailed visual explanation.
Partial lunar eclipse in September 2024
On September 18, between 02:12 GMT and 03:15 GMT, the Moon will pass through the Earth’s umbral shadow, creating a partial lunar eclipse. The lunar disc will be 3.5% covered by this shadow, so it may look as if someone “took a bite” out of our Moon. The partial lunar eclipse will be visible from Europe, much of Asia, Africa, North America, South America, the Arctic, and Antarctica.
Harvest Moon meaning
The Harvest Moon is the Full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox, which occurs in September in the Northern Hemisphere and in March in the Southern Hemisphere.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Harvest Moon usually occurs in September, but around every three to five years, it is in October. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Harvest Moon takes place either in March or April.
This year, the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is on September 22. The Full Moon in September takes place on September 18, and the Full Moon in October is on October 17. As you can see, the September Full Moon is closer to the equinox, therefore, it’s called the Harvest Moon.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox is on March 20, 2025, and the Full Moon on March 14, 2025, will be the Harvest Moon for that part of the world.
“Corn Moon” and other September Full Moon names
The Harvest Moon is the name used to denote both September and October Full Moons, depending on the date of the autumnal equinox. When the Harvest Moon occurs in October, the September Full Moon is called the Corn Moon. The other traditional name used by the Native American tribes is the Rutting Moon: during this period, the mating season begins for deer.
The other alternative names for the September Full Moon include:
- Chinese: Chrysanthemum Moon
- Celtic: Singing Moon
- Wiccan: Barley Moon
- Cherokee: Nut Moon
- Southern Hemisphere: Worm Moon, Lenten Moon, Crow Moon, Sugar Moon, Chaste Moon, Sap Moon
Curious about the names of other Full Moons? Check out our colorful infographic!
The September Full Moon and the Mid-Autumn Festival
The September Full Moon is celebrated by many nations. For the Chinese people, the September Full Moon marks the mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival or Lantern Festival. It is the second most important festival after the Lunar New Year. On this day, people traditionally get together with their family and friends, eat mooncakes, light up paper lanterns, and gaze at the Moon. Similar September Full Moon traditions are found in many cultures around the world, including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, India, and Sri Lanka.
When is the next Full Moon?
When is the next Full Moon in 2024?
The October Full Moon, or the Hunter’s Moon, will be on October 17, 2024. Use our Full Moon calendar so as not to miss the best time to observe the Moon.
When is the next Harvest Moon?
In 2024, the Harvest Moon will occur on September 18 at 02:34 GMT (in the Northern Hemisphere). After that, the next Harvest Moon will occur on March 14, 2025 (in the Southern Hemisphere) and on October 7, 2025 (in the Northern Hemisphere).
September Full Moon 2024: Conclusion
The September Full Moon in 2024 is called the Harvest Moon. It occurs around the autumn equinox and is famous for rising right after sunset for several days in a row. The Full Moon will be on September 18 at 02:34 GMT (September 17, 10:34 p.m. EDT), but don’t worry if you miss the exact day and time: the Moon will appear full for several days around the date. The September Full Moon also counts as a Supermoon, which means it will look a little brighter and bigger in the sky.
We wish you clear skies and happy observations!
