Tonight's Corn Moon Will Have Neptune In Close Proximity

Tonight will host the Corn Moon, the name given to the full moon that will reach its fullest point around 3AM Eastern time tomorrow morning. While the name evokes mental images of a moon colored yellow, that's not the case — the name refers to the fact that corn is typically harvested around this time. For those wondering what happened to the Harvest Moon, it has been bumped to October this year.

The September full moon known as the full moon typically happens in the end of the month, making tonight's full moon a bit too early to earn the label. Instead, the Harvest Moon designation will go to the full moon that will be happening in early October, and so this moon — the one happening tonight — is being called the Corn Moon instead.

But what about the Hunter's Moon, which commonly happens in October? No, it hasn't been bumped to November. Instead, the Hunter's Moon designation just won't be put to use this year, meaning your next chance to see it (well, use the term) is next year.

None of this matters much, though, given that the full moon experiences will be the same regardless of what we happen to call them. Whereas these names were at one point in time used to indicate which crops were ready to be harvested, they're little more than good fun at this point.

What about Neptune? According to Space.com, the planet appeared over the horizon just a bit before moonrise, and ultimately the moon and Neptune will pass within 0.73-degrees of each other. If you're out looking for it, astronomers say it will be located to the northwest of the moon. You'll be able to see Neptune using a small telescope or even a strong pair of stabilized binoculars.

SOURCE: Space.com