Why this month's full moon is called the 'harvest moon'

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Tuesday, September 13, 2016
What is the harvest moon?
AccuWeather explains why the full moon appears so big and red in September.

On Sept. 16 the harvest moon, a symbolic shift from summer to fall, will appear right around sunset. Because it rises low on the horizon, it appears big, bright and red.

The names for each month's full moon date back to Native Americans, according to the Farmer's Almanac. The harvest moon, also known as the corn moon, is so named because it meant it was time to harvest crops and farmers could work by the light of the full moon.

The harvest moon is the full moon closest to the beginning of fall, meaning it usually falls in September but sometimes comes in October.

September's full moon will be extra special this year. In some parts of the world, it will coincide with an eclipse.