Harvest Moon Rises Tonight

Reminder: If the night skies seem a bit brighter this weekend, it's because the annual harvest moon arrives tonight. As USA Today explains, this marks the first full moon nearest the autumnal equinox, this year being Sept. 22, and farmers of old used the light to bring in their crops. It's actually no different than other full moons, although the moon rises at closer intervals on successive nights this time of year, another boon to the farmers.

"In the days before tractors with headlights, having moonlight to work by was crucial to getting the harvest in quickly before rain caused it to rot," says an editor at Sky & Telescope. Sky watchers might also keep an eye out for Uranus this weekend, and Space.com has details on that. (More harvest moon stories.)