Full 'Corn Moon' rises in September for 1st time in 3 years

Sept. 1 (UPI) -- September's lone full moon rose so early this year that it shined as the Corn Moon on Tuesday night and promised that October skies will be graced by a Blue Moon on Halloween.

For the first time in three years, the Corn Moon -- the final full moon of the summer -- rose in September and peaked about 1:22 a.m. EDT Wednesday on the opposite side of the sun, according to NASA.

Usually, September's full moon rises closer to the Autumn Equinox, which ushers in the fall season on Sept. 22, and is named the Harvest Moon in relation to when Native Americans traditionally harvested their crops, according to the Farmers' Almanac.

However, the nearest moon to the equinox is to rise on Oct. 1 this year, meaning September's full moon is the Corn Moon as it appears around the traditional corn harvest, the annual calendar publication said.

"Corn requires up to 100 frost-free days to reach harvest depending upon variety and the amount of heat during the growing season," the almanac said. "That would take us to around the end of August to early September. Hence, for a full moon in early September, it seems appropriate to brand it as a Corn Moon."

This means that the celestial body will appear full twice in October's skies with the Blue Moon, the latter of the two full moons, to fall on Oct. 31 -- Halloween.

Corn Moons occur in September about once every three years.