Daily Postcard: A rare sighting of the Harvest Moon viewed at about 1:48 a.m. today from White Rock. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, the beginning of fall, which this year is Sept. 23. It’s different from other full moons because it rises at roughly the same time for several nights running, giving more light. According to Farmers’ Almanac contributing astronomer Joe Rao, this combination is typically a once-in-a-20-year occurrence, but unfortunately, you’ll have to wait even longer than usual for your next chance to see it in the U.S. Rao said the next opportunity will be roughly 30 years, Aug. 13, 2049. Why the ‘harvest’ moon nickname? ‘In the days before tractors with headlights, having moonlight to work by was crucial to getting the harvest in quickly before rain caused it to rot,’ according to Alan MacRobert, an editor at Sky &Telescope magazine. ‘Many crops ripen all at once in late summer and early autumn, so farmers found themselves extremely busy at this time of year, according to NASA. They had to work after sundown. Moonlight became an essential part of farming and, thus, the harvest moon was born. Photo by Nancy Ann Hibbs