Georgia's Last Full Moon Of The Decade Includes A 'Planetary Kiss'

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The full harvest moon is seen Friday, Sept. 13, 2019, in the skies above Overland Park, Kan.

The last full "cold moon" of the decade will light up the Georgia sky Thursday night.

This full moon is especially eventful because it will be accompanied by a "planetary kiss" of Venus and Jupiter. From our vantage point, the two planets will be side by side in the night sky. Fernbank Science Center astronomer April Whitt says the event will be an interesting optical illusion.

"It's like cars passing each other far away, and they look like they're going to crash into each other," Whitt said. "But they're really very different distances."

Whitt said the moon will be especially bright because of the time of year.

"In the winter, the moon is really high across the sky. So it's shining down lots of light," she said. "If you're in an area that has a lot of reflected light, it's pretty bright outside during the cold moon times."

Several locations are planning events around the lunar occurrence. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia at the University of Georgia in Athens is planning a "full moon hike" starting at 7 p.m. Thursday for $5.