Mumbai, September 25: The Harvest Moon, or full moon in the ongoing month, will rise on Friday, September 29 – and it is a spectacular one. It will not only be the fourth consecutive supermoon of 2023, but it will also be this year's last supermoon, bringing a conclusion to a particularly supermoon summer. The Harvest Moon will be accompanied in the sky by a procession of planets, including the solar system's greatest ones, Jupiter and Saturn, as well as its smallest, Mercury, fittingly for the special supermoon.

The series of four consecutive supermoons began on July 3 with the Full Buck Moon. This was followed by two supermoons in August: the Full Sturgeon Moon on August 1 and the Full Blue Moon on August 30. Supermoon, Blue Moon 2023 Date and Time: Full Moons to Light Up Skies in August, Check Timings.

The phrase 'supermoon' refers to full moons that occur around the point in the moon's orbit where it is closest to Earth, known as perigee. This occurs because the moon's orbit around Earth is an ellipse rather than a complete circle, which means it falls further away from our planet sometimes and comes closer on others.

Saturn, the second-largest planet in the solar system, will be the first to visit the final supermoon of 2023 on Saturday, rising about 17:18 EDT (2118 GMT). Mercury will be the final planet to pass by the Harvest Moon and the most difficult to see. Mercury, the nearest planet to the sun, is now the farthest away from our host star. It emerges in the early sky but vanishes in the evening. The smallest planet in the solar system will rise at 05:30 (0930 GMT) on Saturday. Mercury will be visible in the sky with the full moon for slightly over an hour before the year's final supermoon sets. Super Blue Moon in Bihar Video: Rare Supermoon Lights Up the Sky in Patna, Stunning Clip Surfaces.

Those who miss the Harvest Moon will have to wait until September 18, 2024, for the following supermoon, which will also be a Harvest Moon. This will be the first of two supermoons next year, with the second arriving a month later on Oct. 17, 2024.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2023 08:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).