This week you have the chance to see a bigger and brighter moon with the annual Harvest Moon taking to the sky.

The celestial event always occurs before the autumn equinox and signals the start of the new season as we wave goodbye to the summer months.

Although we get the chance to see a full moon every month of the year, the Harvest Moon is unlike any other, appearing 14% bigger and 30% brighter.

Find out what it is and how you can see the Harvest Moon this month.

Why is it called a Harvest moon?

The full moon closest to the equinox is always called the Harvest Moon - this is because it's bright enough to allow farmers to work late into the night, bringing home their crops, hence why it has been called the Harvest Moon.

The moon normally falls in September, however, occasionally the October full moon is closer to the equinox and it is then named the Harvest moon.

In this case, the September moon is called the Corn Moon. This occurs once every three years, according to Time and Date.

What is the autumn equinox?

The autumn equinox occurs in September every year, and it marks summer ending in the northern hemisphere.

As the Earth orbits the sun, it is tilted on an axis. This means that as it orbits it illuminates the northern or southern hemisphere differently, depending on where it is in orbit.

However, at two points in the year, the sun will illuminate both hemispheres equally – these are the autumn and spring equinoxes.

The autumn equinox signals the end of summer for those in the northern hemisphere and the change from winter to spring in the southern hemisphere. As the days get colder and shorter in the north, they get longer and warmer in the south.

How and when to see the Harvest Moon 

If you're hoping to get a glimpse of the Harvest Moon, you will be able to see it in all its glory on the night of Tuesday, September 17 and Wednesday, September 18.

The next full moon, which will be the Hunter's Moon, will take place on October 17 at 12.26pm.