Harvest Moon to grace S’pore skies on Sep. 18, a day after Mid-Autumn Festival

Singapore will be graced with the second supermoon of the year on Sep. 18, just one day after Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival.

Dubbed the Harvest Moon, it is the nearest full moon to the Autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and marks the start of the fall season, according to the Science Centre Observatory (SCOB).

When

Singapore residents can expect to see the Harvest Moon rising at around 7:19pm on Sep. 18.

It should be at an easily appreciable height at around 9:30 pm onwards, SCOB said.

Where

As long as the skies are clear, you should be able to see the supermoon easily anywhere in Singapore — without the use of any equipment.

The moon will be approximately 357,283 km away from Earth, according to EarthDate.

If you want to make an evening out of it, you can go to public areas like the Marina Barrage, East Coast Park and the Southern Ridges for an unobstructed and potentially elevated view.

Do note that the moon’s appearance can vary depending on atmospheric conditions and your specific location.

What

A supermoon refers to a full moon that appears "larger and brighter than usual", SCOB said.

This phenomenon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth, making the moon appear nearly six to seven per cent larger than usual.

The Harvest Moon refers to the nearest full moon to the Autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and marks the start of the fall season.

According to SCOB, the supermoon earned its name because of the exceptionally bright moonlight it provides during this period, which historically aided farmers in harvesting summer crops.

More supermoons

You can catch two other supermoons this year on Oct. 17 and Nov. 15.

They will be visible at distances ranging from 357,000km to 361,000km.

Moon stories

Top photo via Paschen Ng/Facebook