The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. The Harvest Moon can occur anywhere from two weeks before to two weeks after the autumnal equinox. This year, the Harvest Moon occurred on September 19, which was pretty close to the autumnal equinox, September 22. The proximity of the Harvest Moon to the autumnal equinox meant that the moon rose almost directly east of the Capitol, presenting an excellent opportunity to get a good shot of the moon over the Washington, DC, skyline.
