August 22-25, 2026: The August waxing gibbous moon previews the Harvest Moon effect as it stays at a similar altitude while moving eastward and rising later each night.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus as an Evening Star
Waxing Moon Previews the Harvest Moon Effect
As the Harvest Moon approaches next month (September 26), the waxing moon’s nightly place resembles the Full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox.
This month’s Full Moon (Sturgeon) occurs on the 27th at 11:18 p.m. Central Time. Depending on the publishing preferences of your favorite almanac, it may list the next calendar day as the Full Moon date.
Before the invention of lighting for farm equipment, the Harvest Moon’s light was used after sunset to lengthen the time available to work in the fields. In autumn, the ecliptic, the plane of the solar system, is tilted so that the moon’s altitude is nearly the same from night to night, while the lunar orb is about 13° east of the previous night’s place. From night to night, the moon rises and sets about 50 minutes later, the minimum time interval. This month’s waxing gibbous phase previews the Harvest Moon effect, with the moon appearing at nearly the same altitude after sunset for several consecutive evenings.
Highlights
Here’s what to see one hour after sunset:
• August 22: The gibbous moon, 77% illuminated, is nearly 20° above the south horizon, above the Teapot of Sagittarius, 1.8° to the upper left of Alnasl, the Archer’s arrowhead. Use a binocular to trace the shape made by the constellation’s brightest stars.
• August 23: At 84% illumination, the lunar orb is nearly the same altitude as last night, but it is at the Teapot’s handle, 2.0° to the lower left of Nunki and 1.0° to the upper right of Tau Sagittarii (τ Sgr). The moon sets tomorrow morning about an hour later than this morning’s moonset time.
• August 24: The waxing moon, 91% illuminated, is over 18° above the south-southeast horizon, not much lower than last night, in front of eastern Sagittarius, 13.2° to the lower right of Algedi, Capricornus’ brightest star.
• August 25: Nearing the Full Sturgeon Moon, the bright moon, 96% illuminated, is nearly 17° above the southeast horizon, 10.7° to the lower left of Algedi.
During the next few evenings, watch the moon move eastward from night to night while its altitude after sunset changes only slightly, previewing the Harvest Moon effect that becomes most noticeable next month.
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