Why does the full moon appear so much larger in the sky as it’s rising? The optical illusion explained (Photo: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images) While it may appear to be neglibly smaller in the night sky, it will still retain the usual colour and brightness of a regular full moon. A Harvest Moon happens just before the Autumn Equinox, which signals the start of a new season, and the name is linked to a lag time between moonrise and sunset at this time of year.īut don’t be expecting any major changes in the appearance of the moon.
