Pumpkin-Like Harvest Moon Will Light Up the Night Sky Friday—Here’s How to See It

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For casual stargazers, special events involving the moon tend to stand out. Along with meteor showers and some comets, they’re one of the few occasions when you don’t need a telescope to take it all in. This is especially true when the biggest object in the night sky is even more prominent and brighter than usual. And this week, you might want to consider heading outside to check out the pumpkin-like Harvest Moon that will light up the night sky on Friday evening. Read on to find out how you can see it.

RELATED: The Next Total Solar Eclipse Will Be the Last Until 2044, NASA Says .

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In most areas, the earliest days of fall provide some of the last wisps of comfortable stargazing weather before the deep winter chill sets in. Fortunately, this week also brings an extraordinary sight as the full Harvest Moon rises on Friday night, lighting up the sky with its captivating reddish-orange pumpkin-like glow, The Washington Post reports.

The term for this month’s full moon comes from Indigenous peoples in North America, who historically used it to describe the bright cycle that arrives just as crops become ready for harvest. The added brightness also traditionally helped them work longer to complete the task, per The Post .

RELATED: The 10 Best Destinations for Stargazing in the U.S.

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Even if it is seasonally appropriate, this isn’t the only time of the year when the moon will cast a unique hue, as all full moons take on an orange-colored tint as they creep above the horizon, according to The Post . But it does mark the fourth consecutive and final supermoon of the year.

As the name suggests, a supermoon refers to any time a full moon rises while at its perigee —or its closest point to Earth in its orbit, according to Space.com. This occurs because the moon’s elliptical-shaped orbit changes the distance between us and our satellite at different times.

The events are particularly special for people who typically enjoy looking up at the moon, as it beams about 30 percent brighter and appears 14 percent larger than a standard full moon, per Space.com. And while the brightest supermoon of the year occurred last month during what also happened to be a blue moon—or the second full moon to take place in a month—this one stands out as the last until August 2024.

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Unlike other celestial objects, spotting a full moon doesn’t require a star map or compass. Those on the East Coast of the U.S. should see it begin to rise over the horizon around 6:33 p.m., when its pumpkin-like orange huge will be most prominent for the initial stages of its climb into the sky, according to Space.com.

Even though you’ll be able to see it clearly with the naked eye, a pair of binoculars or a telescope will make it even easier to spot finer details on the moon’s surface. And because of the timing of when it hits its true full phase, you shouldn’t get too disappointed if local weather conditions block out your view.

“You can go at least a day in either direction, maybe two in each direction, and it’s going to look just as full to most people,” Tony Rice , a NASA ambassador, told The Post .

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Of course, the moon won’t be the only object dancing across the sky on Friday night and Saturday morning. Planets from our solar system will also make prominent appearances , beginning with Jupiter rising above the horizon around 8:20 p.m. EDT to the left of the moon, according to Space.com.

Not long after the gas giant dips back below the horizon a few hours after midnight, neighboring Venus will begin to rise around 4 a.m. EDT and remain easy to spot even as sunrise approaches, thanks to its brightness. And at 5:31 a.m. EDT, a faint Mercury will become briefly visible before the sunrise washes it out.

The Next Total Solar Eclipse Will Be the Last Until 2044, NASA Says

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Whether you’re a casual stargazer or a devoted amateur astronomer, there’s no denying that there’s something special about witnessing a rare celestial event like a solar eclipse. Besides the fact that they only occur a few times each decade, getting a good view can come down to where you live having the right weather conditions. If you’d love to witness a solar eclipse anytime soon, you may want to mark off your calendars. NASA says the next one will be the last you can see from the U.S. until 2044. Read on for more info on how to catch this unique event.

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If catching a major cosmic event has been an item on your bucket list, you might want to grab your calendar . On Apr. 8, 2024, North America will have front-row seats to a total solar eclipse for the first time since 2017. But besides being a relatively rare event in and of itself, this will also be the last opportunity to view a full eclipse from within the contiguous United States until Aug. 23, 2044, according to NASA.

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Even though many areas across the U.S. will be treated to at least a partial eclipse, only places that are in the total eclipse’s direct path will get to experience the moon entirely blocking out the sun . The first sight of totality on the continent will start on Mexico’s Pacific Coast before it becomes visible stateside around noon in Texas, according to NASA. From there, the path will continue north through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine before leaving the U.S. in the late afternoon.

Viewers in Canada will be able to experience the eclipse as it begins its path through Southern Ontario and eventually makes its way through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton. The eclipse will disappear from North America as it passes off the East Coast of Canada in the early evening.

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So long as weather conditions remain favorable, part of what makes the experience of a total solar eclipse so special is the truly unique conditions it can create for those in its path. During the initial partial eclipse phase—or for those watching in areas outside of the total eclipse’s path—viewers will first notice a crescent blocking out part of the sun as the moon slightly covers the star while wearing the appropriate safety glasses, according to NASA.

For a few fleeting moments before the sun is covered, spectators might also be able to catch sight of Baily’s Beads, which are glimmers of light that form bright spots as sunlight passes through crags, craters, and valleys on the moon. A sharp, bright spot on the edge of the moon’s shadow known as the “diamond ring” will then appear, named for its resemblance to a sparkling piece of jewelry.

The moment the sun is completely blocked out is known as “totality,” marking the only point of the experience you can watch directly without protective glasses. Spectators might be able to make out different parts of the sun’s atmosphere, including a pink ring created by the star’s chromosphere or rays of white light from the corona. But while the view above is spectacular, sights on the ground can be just as surreal as conditions can create “a 360-degree sunset,” planets and bright stars can become briefly visible, the air temperature can drop, and “often an eerie silence will settle around you,” NASA describes.

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If you’re already excited to catch a glimpse of the rare celestial event for the last time until 2044, it might not be a bad idea to start preparing for the experience. Arguably most importantly, NASA warns you’ll need the correct specially designed safe solar viewing glasses or handheld viewer to actually be able to see it . Otherwise, you’ll need to use an indirect viewing technique, such as a pinhole projector.

“Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing,” the space agency warns, clarifying that normal sunglasses won’t offer sufficient protection. “Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.”

And besides ensuring you have the proper equipment, you might also want to consider arranging a place to stay if you have to travel to witness the event. Cities along the path of totality will likely see a large influx of tourists scooping up available lodging, with Ross saying organizers expect anywhere between 375,000 to 500,000 people to descend upon Rochester alone.

“We’ve been starting to spread the word really since 2019 by meeting and also kind of designating everyone as an eclipse ambassador, so everyone watching right now, get ready because all of your out-of-town relatives are coming here [and] they’re gonna want to stay in your house,” Ross told WROC.