Friday the 13th full moon to rise this week for first time since 2000
The full moon closest to the fall equinox is known as the harvest moon. In 2019, the harvest moon rises on the night of Sept. 13 -- Friday the 13th.
It's rare to see a full moon rise on Friday the 13th. The last full moon on Friday the 13th was in October 2000, according to AccuWeather, and it won't happen again until August 2049.
The harvest moon gets its name because it was around this time of year that farmers began to harvest their crops. Before there were tractor lights, farmers used the light of the full moon to help them see at night.
Around this time of year, the moon normally begins to rise in the twilight hours. If you catch the moon as it rises from the horizon, it will appear larger than normal due to an optical illusion. It might even appear as an orange color because of the atmosphere being at its thickest from a horizon perspective.
Most of the Americas will get the harvest moon on Friday the 13th, but other parts of the world will see it on Sept. 14.
