The Harvest Moon seen over the Marina Bay Street Circuit at around 7.45pm on Sept 18. - ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
SINGAPORE: The glowing Harvest Moon on Sept 18 delighted skygazers in Singapore, even as visibility of the supermoon was at times obscured by clouds.
An astronomy enthusiast who wanted to be known only as William watched the moon from a Housing Board block in Punggol, where he and his friend had waited with bated breath.
At about 7.45pm, they saw the moonlight glowing from behind some dense clouds.
“We were excited when we saw the glow through the clouds. We quickly set our camera to standby,” said the 46-year-old engineer.
However, their excitement faded when the moon was hidden again behind the clouds. “All of us were quite disappointed,” said William.
He and his friend decided to continue waiting for the clouds to pass so they could snap a nice shot of the supermoon.
The Harvest Moon at Gardens by the Bay on Sept 18. - ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
The sighting of the Harvest Moon in Singapore comes a day after the Mid-Autumn Festival on Sept 17, celebrated in Chinese culture as a show of gratitude for the year’s harvest. The Harvest Moon appears closest to the autumn equinox, which marks the beginning of autumn.
The supermoon caught the attention of Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who shared a photo of the “radiant and bright” moon on social media. “May it herald bountiful days for everyone!” he said.
Others waited eagerly for the Harvest Moon to appear. Avid photographer and supermoon lover Ivan Goh had waited since 7pm to take a shot of the orb from Merlion Park.
“The clouds this evening were too thick (but) I spotted it at around 7.30pm rising halfway,” said the 53-year-old manager in the semiconductor industry.
Despite the clouds, Goh said he was excited to capture a photo of the supermoon, adding that he rarely misses the chance to do so.
Many photos shared on social media in Singapore show the glowing moon shrouded in thick clouds.
One netizen, who spotted the moon from his home at 7.30pm, said it was “a bit shy” but managed to make a five-minute appearance before it was hidden again behind the clouds.
Though the moon was often not fully visible, skygazers marvelled at its brightness when the clouds parted. A netizen who posted a photo of the moon hiding behind some clouds, said it had “(set) the night clouds on fire”.
The Harvest Moon is so-called because its bright light allows farmers to harvest their crops till late into the evening.
This is the second of four supermoons in 2024. A supermoon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth, appearing 6 per cent to 7 per cent larger and brighter than usual.
The first supermoon of 2024 appeared on Aug 19, while the remaining two will light up the skies on Oct 17 and Nov 15. - The Straits Times/ANN
