Next week, the first full moon since the Harvest Moon will fill the sky for three days. This moon, known as the “Hunter’s Moon” will be the third, and brightest, of four consecutive super moons, according to NASA.
The Hunter’s Moon will appear at 7:26 a.m. ET Thursday, but it will appear full from Tuesday evening through Friday morning. To catch a glimpse of it, just look into the sky after sundown.
“When we see a full moon, it is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun. In astronomical terms, the two bodies are separated by 180 degrees,” explained Space.com. “This means that, from Earth, we see the moon fully illuminated, reflecting the sun's light. If one were standing on the moon somewhere near the center of its disk as seen from Earth, the sun would be directly overhead.”
Supermoons are full moons that happen near the moon’s closest point to Earth on its oval shaped orbit, per the Farmer’s Almanac. Astronomers call it a “perigean full Moon,” and a supermoon typically appears bigger and brighter than a regular full Moon.
What is a Hunter’s Moon?
According to NASA, the earliest written use of this term was in 1710, when it appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary. Citing the Farmer’s Almanac, the space agency explained that it is a reference to the time when it is best to hunt deer.
“Since the harvesters have reaped the fields, hunters can easily see the animals that have come out to glean (and the foxes that have come out to prey upon them),” NASA said.
Both the Harvest Moon and the Hunter’s Moon are tied to the autumnal equinox, per the Farmer’s Almanac. This year, the Harvest Moon arrived in the sky on Sept. 17, shortly before the Sept. 22 equinox. In addition to signaling a good time to hunt, the Hunter’s Moon was also a sign to prepare for winter.
However, this moon also goes by other names. These include Sanguine or Blood Moon, “either associated with the blood from hunting or the color of the changing autumn leaves,” according to the almanac, and Travel Moon. Native American names for the Hunter’s Moon are: Drying Rice Moon (Dakota), Falling Leaves Moon (Anishinaabe), Freezing Moon (Ojibwe), Ice Moon (Haida) and Migrating Moon (Cree).
This October full moon has significance in other cultures as well, said NASA. For example, it is the full moon in the Hebrew month of Tishrei, falling near the start of Sukkoth, a seven-day holiday starting Wednesday. Known as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of the Ingathering, Sukkoth “honors both the sheltering of the People of Israel during the 40 years in the wilderness in the Book of Leviticus as well as an ancient harvest festival in the Book of Exodus,” the space agency explained.
Hindus associate the moon with the Sharad Purnima harvest festival. Buddhists know this moon as the ending of Vassa, a three-month period of fasting for monks tied to the monsoons, and there are festivals and holy days linked to it, including Pavarana and Vap Poya in Sri Lanka. In Myanmar, the Hunter’s Moon corresponds with the Thadingyut Festival of Lights, a three-day celebration, and the end of the Phaung Daw U Pagoda Festival.
In the U.S., the moon comes as we’re preparing for Halloween. It might provide just the right atmosphere for a walk around the neighborhood to check out spooky decorations.
“As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon,” said NASA. “Enjoy this harvest season, remember your ancestors, and consider camping out with your family. Here’s wishing you safe travels!”