(2) The moon moves at a _varying angle to the horizon_. The moon moves nearly in the plane of the ecliptic, and of course she passes both equinoxes every lunation. When she is near the autumnal equinox, her path makes the greatest angle with the eastern horizon, and when she is near the vernal equinox, the least angle: hence the moon moves away from the horizon fastest when she is near the autumnal equinox, and slowest when she is near the vernal equinox. This will be evident from Figs. 116 and 117. In each figure, _SN_ represents a portion of the eastern horizon, and _Ec_, _E'c'_, a portion of the ecliptic. _AE_, in Fig. 116, represents the autumnal equinox, and _AEM_ the daily motion of the moon. _VE_, in Fig. 117, represents the vernal equinox, and _VEM'_ the motion of the moon for one day. In the first case this motion would carry the moon away from the horizon the distance _AM_, and in the second case the distance _A'M'_. Now, it is evident that _AM_ is greater than _A'M'_: hence, other things being equal, the greatest retardation of the moon's rising will be when the moon is near the autumnal equinox, and the least retardation when the moon is near the vernal equinox. The least retardation at New York is twenty-three minutes, and the greatest an hour and seventeen minutes. The greatest and least retardations vary somewhat from month to month; since they depend not only upon the position of the moon in her orbit with reference to the equinoxes, but also upon the latitude of the moon, and upon her nearness to the earth. [Illustration: Fig. 118.] The direction of the moon's motion with reference to the ecliptic is shown in Fig. 118, which shows the moon's motion for one day in July, 1876. 104. _The Harvest Moon_--The long and short retardations in the rising of the moon, though they occur every month, are not likely to attract attention unless they occur at the time of full moon. The long retardations for full moon occur when the moon is near the autumnal equinox at full. As the full moon is always opposite to the sun, the sun must in this case be near the vernal equinox: hence the long retardations for full moon occur in the spring, the greatest retardation being in March. The least retardations for full moon occur when the moon is near the vernal equinox at full: the sun must then be near the autumnal equinox. Hence the least retardations for full moon occur in the months of August, September, and October. The retardation is, of course, least for September; and the full moon of this month rises night after night less than half an hour later than the previous night. The full moon of September is called the "Harvest Moon," and that of October the "Hunter's Moon."