Many of us are under the impression that when a Moon is Full, it is full for the entire day. Actually, astronomers determine the moment of the full Moon based on the Moon’s position in relation to the Sun. When the Moon is exactly opposite in the sky to the Sun (180 degrees apart), it is deemed a full Moon. At that moment, the Sun is setting in the west and the Moon is coming up in the east. And, the moon’s disk is fully (100%) illuminated. Some hours before or after the moment of the full Moon, the Moon is ever-so-slightly out of round and it’s illumination is a mere 99.8% of full. Most folks refer to the Moon as full not only on the day it is actually full, but also on the day before since it is nearly impossible to see any difference with the naked eye.

We will have a Full Moon for October later this week. Do you know what we call the October Full Moon?? Stay tuned. I’ll even let you know the name and exact moment of “fullness” should you be a full moon perfectionist. If you hear the term Light of the Moon and Dark of the Moon. Light reflects the time a moon is a New Moon (completely dark) to the moment of a Full Moon (100% illumination). Dark of the Moon runs from the Full Moon to the New Moon when the light decreases. These terms are important when planting and doing other activities as outlined in our best day and gardening calendars.

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Full Moon, October Full Moon, Light of the Moon, Dark of the Moon, Farmers’ Almanac