The Harvest Moon is the full Moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox, the beginning of northern autumn. In 2013 the Moon is full on Sept. 19th (the night of Sept. 18-19 in North America) while the equinox follows close behind on Sept. 22nd. The coincidence sets the stage for a nice display of Harvest moonlight.
In the days before light bulbs, farmers relied on moonlight to help them harvest their crops. Many crops ripen all at once in late summer and early autumn, so farmers found themselves extremely busy at this time of year. They had to work after sundown. Moonlight became an essential part of farming and, so, the Harvest Moon was born.
There's more to the Harvest Moon, however, than just an old-fashioned name. It really is special.
Throughout the year the Moon rises, on average, about 50 minutes later each day. But near the autumnal equinox, this difference shrinks to only 30 minutes. The reason is, at the beginning of autumn the moon's orbital path makes a narrow angle with the evening horizon.
To a non-astronomer, that might sound like celestial trivia. But to sky watchers it makes a huge difference. For several nights in a row around the time of the Harvest Moon, the moon rises at about the same time--sunset. And you know what happens when the moon rises at sunset....
Low-hanging moons are reddened by clouds and dust. Not only that, they are swollen to outlandish size by the Moon illusion, a well-known but still mysterious trick of the eye that makes low-hanging Moons seem much larger than they really are.
When you add these effects together the Harvest Moon often looks like a great pumpkin. The experience is repeated for several nights in a row around the equinox.
A great pumpkin-colored Moon rising in the east is a nice way to kick off northern autumn. And it's a nice way to end the day. At sundown on Sept. 18th, go outside, face east, and enjoy the Harvest Moon..
Okay first off...I am NOT trying to pick a day or time, but came across something that I thought was pretty interesting (take it for it's entertainment value only!)
I was curious to read a bit more on this harvest moon, at the time I wasn't expecting to post this so I didn't get the link, but on one science website I read that the full harvest moon will be at it's fullest point on Thurs Sept 19 at 7:13am EDT. For me in CA, that would be 4:13am, and for Israel, this would be 2:13pm (all on Thurs 9/19).
I remember someone once posting what the numbers mean so I googled the biblical significance/symbology of the numbers "2" and "13":
For #2:
"The number two suggesting division and separation is seen in the following examples: two birds, one slain and one set free; two goats, one slain, the other one set free; two masters; two covenants (Old Testament and New Testament); law and grace; Christ and the anti-Christ; the natural and the spiritual; male and female; the righteous and the wicked as in Psalm 1. (there was a lot more written on this number so read up about it here at:
http://www.turnbacktogod.com/biblical-numbers-1-10/)
For #13:
Read this one: http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=82702 (one of this site's statements is as follows: "The number “13” does not mean “evil,” but rather it is a most powerful God-given promise that will change the world for ever.")
Then, also on the science website, it stated that this year's Harvest moon is special b/c the Harvest moon is usually the third (and is the last) full moon of the Summer. However, this year, the Harvest moon is the FOURTH full moon of this Summer.
So then I looked up the meaning of 4:
"Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. (Luke 13:29) Four is the creation number and it has special significance to the earth. Four is symbolic of earthly completeness. On the fourth day, all materials for the earth were created. Four is the number of the great elements: earth, air, fire, and water. There are four regions or directions: north, south, east, and west. There are four seasons of the year: fall, winter, spring, and summer. There are four phases of the moon: first, half, full, and last. There are four divisions of the day: morning, noon, evening, and night. The Bible also has ten references to the four winds."
http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=82702
Also, the definition of the #4 made me think of Rev 7: 1-3 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
Then Rev 7 made me think of Dusty's earthquake prediction and other's thoughts as to a coming "darkness." (Not that this is what it means, just saying in made these things pop into my head).
And then I also started thinking about Scott or Humblehorse's observation of this moon being a special one as it passed over Spica on 9/8 for the FOURTH time this year!!
I don't know about you all but I'm expecting something to happen on Sept 19th, rapture or no rapture!
Woo-Hoo! Happy (early) 50th Birthday Daniel! That would be amazing to have the rapture on your birthday - best birthday gift ever! Jubilee year ending in jubilance!
If 2 billion people are raptured (a billion kids under the age of accountability and a billion believing adults -- just easy round numbers, because my math ability is fleeing fast!), then about 5 1/2 million will be raptured on their birthday.
And perhaps 40,000 will be raptured on their jubilee birthday.
2ndComing: I like that discovery of your's about the 153 days, like the number of fish, since Ascension Day, at the next new moon, October 5. Thanks for that. Lines up nicely with the theory that RH is a month out this year since the September remembrance of it was, theoretically, still in the summer. Like it. Hoping.....
I woke up to nature's call around 3:30 this morning only to see two amazing sights in the sky. The Harvest Moon, shining like the *sun* - it was seriously BRIGHT! - and the Bright, Morning Star hovering like a jewel in the dark velvet of the night.
Trust His Timing, according to NASA,new moon shall begin on Oct 5 00:35 universal time.In Jerusalem it shall be 2 hrs ahead.I hope we shall hear the midnight cry,behold the bridegroom come.And we shall all go out and meet him.