The waning gibbous moon shines through Russian olive leaves before midnight on Tuesday, August 28, as it rises over Cranbrook three days after August’s unseen full moon – lost to cloud, and the smoke of our fiery summer.

However, given our clear September atmosphere and a favourable weather forecast, we have reason to be optimistic that September’s full moon – our Harvest Moon – will appear and rise in all its autumnal splendour on Monday, September 24.

For the Cranbrook-Kimberley area, our astronomical moonrise time will be 7:56 p.m. MDT, but allowing for immoveable horizonal obstructions – like the Rocky Mountains, actual moonrise times will be delayed for upwards of a half hour or more because, due to its low autumnal ascension angle, only at 8:28 p.m. does the moon ascend to five degrees above our astronomical horizon.

Consider the “astronomical horizon” as being equivalent to an “ocean horizon” so, for those awaiting the moonrise on an East Kootenay mountaintop, the Harvest Moon will appear right on time at 7:56 p.m.  Our full moon will be at its fullest -100% illuminated – at 8:52 p.m., a time when the mountain-toppers will be fully engaged in their summit moon dance.

Sources: Timeanddate.com (Cranbrook), Skyandtelescope.com, & the Observer’s Handbook 2018 (Royal Astronomical Society of Canada)

Photo courtesy Dan Hicks

Article Share