The Full Hunter’s Moon has arrived and will shine bright in the evening sky tonight.
The moon will officially be full at 7:26 a.m. Thursday morning, but it will still appear full when it rises again this evening.
The October full moon is most widely known as the Hunter’s Moon. This year it is also the closest, and therefore largest, “supermoon.” This time, it will be about 7% larger than average. This isn’t noticeable to the eye for most of the night, but it can make the “moon illusion” much more noticeable. This is when the moon appears extra large when viewed over distant things like trees or buildings. The trees/buildings trick your brain into believing the moon is much bigger than it really is.
The Hunter’s Moon has always followed the Harvest Moon and is named for the time when hunters start preparing for the long winter ahead. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the earliest use of the term Hunter’s Moon was in 1710.
Other names of this month’s full moon are the Falling Leaves Moon, Freezing Moon and Migrating Moon.
This year, while the Hunter’s Moon is rising in the east, Comet ATLAS will be setting in the west. Tonight will be a great opportunity to catch both at the same time! Comet ATLAS is slowly dimming, so take some binoculars to get the best view!
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