Harvest moon Thursday night; Wildfire smoke clears through weekend

The nearly Full Moon Wednesday night taken by Barry Burgess in Shelburne County, NS. The orange tint a result of haze aloft created by wildfire smoke. (Courtesy: Barry Burgess)

FULL HARVEST MOON

Maritimers will be able to see the full harvest moon rises in the night sky tonight.

Technically the moon will be completely full early Friday morning, near 6:47 a.m., but viewing the moon within 12 hours before or after that time is usually considered is full phase.

It is also the last supermoon of 2023.

A supermoon is the occurrence of the full moon near its closer orbital point to the Earth known as the perigee. The difference between a full supermoon and full moon is subtle to the naked eye, estimated to be only about 14 per cent bigger and brighter in appearance.

Viewing conditions are generally favourable for viewing the moon in the Maritimes tonight. We have some lingering haze from wildfire smoke present, but it is thinner than it was compared to Wednesday.

The moon should be visible above the eastern horizon by near 8 p.m. Higher over the southeastern horizon 10 p.m. to midnight. The moon sets in the west in the pre-dawn hours of Friday.

Watch for some bright planets in the night sky as well. Saturn will be running out ahead of the rising moon. Jupiter will follow behind the moon. Venus will be high in the eastern sky before sunrise Friday.

WILDFIRE SMOKE FORECAST

While thinner for most of the Maritimes Thursday compared to Wednesday, a haze of wildfire smoke does linger. The presence of that smoke is expected for Friday and Saturday as well. It does look like a thinner haze it more likely for those days though.

Movement of our current high pressure system eastward is expected to move the haze east as well. That should move what is left of it east of the Maritimes Sunday into Monday.