Feathers and Flowers: Shine on

Oh, Shine on, shine on, harvest moon

Up in the sky;

I ain't had no lovin'

Since April, January, June or July.

That sweet old song was written in 1908 by the husband and wife team Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth of the Ziegfeld Follies. It was popular right from the start.

The full Harvest Moon is on the rise, and for three days in a row a glowing full moon will appear on the horizon just after sunset and fill the evening sky with an unusual amount of light. Because of its striking orange tinge and early rise, the Harvest Moon looks larger than a regular full moon-- just an optical illusion.

The moon usually rises 50 minutes later each successive night, but at this time in Northern Hemisphere the moon rises about half an hour later each night. Before electricity, this meant more light for farmers to bring in their crops so the moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox was traditionally called the Harvest Moon.