Nights when the moon appears especially large are typically marked by lunar enthusiasts on their calendars, but this is one of those rare occasions when a smaller-than-normal full moon is noteworthy. This Friday, a Harvest Moon (the full moon closest to the end of summer and the start of fall) is set to appear and it will be unusually small. This occurs when the full moon happens close to the lunar apogée — the point when the moon is farthest from Earth — and it’s called a Micro Moon.
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A Rare Harvest Micro Moon Will Appear on Friday the 13th
The Harvest Micro Moon will look around 14 percent smaller than a normal full moon, and will appear a little dimmer.
To get the best view of the rare Harvest Micro Moon, watch the sky around 12:33 AM EST on September 14. For those in the other three time zones, look skyward at 11:33 PM CDT, 10:33 PM MDT, and 9:33 PM PDT on September 13. And if you have plans that may interfere with your stargazing — cancel them. This is the first time since 2000 that a full moon falls on Friday the 13th and the next Harvest Micro Moon isn’t expected to happen until August 13, 2049. 