Monday's Harvest Moon Is Also The Final Supermoon Of 2014
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - The 2014 summer of supermoons comes to an end Monday as the orbit brings full moon to its closest point to earth for the final time this year.
The last in the trio of supermoons will not appear as bright or quite as large as the last one on August 10th, however this month's moonrise also falls closest to the September 23nd Autumnal equinox, meaning it will also also carry the designation of a "harvest moon." In the northern hemisphere, the time between moonrise decreases this time of year, providing farmers with more moonlight to finish the harvest. Some say the setting sun also makes the harvest moon appear orange and swollen like a pumpkin.
Astronomers say Monday's moonrise will be the best time to view the event. In the Bay Area, moonrise is expected around 7:15 p.m.
According to superstition, the supermoon has often been linked to natural disasters, including most recently, the devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan and Hurricane Katrina. Others believe it increases a woman's fertility. However, experts say none of this is true.
