Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The October full moon rises tonight! Here’s everything you need to know about the “Hunter’s Moon,” including where to see it, how it got its name, and other tricks of light and mind that could conspire to create a truly spectacular lunar light show. The October moon reaches 100% illumination at 12:12 a.m. EDT (0412 GMT) on October 26, as the lunar disk shines in front of the sun in Earth’s sky. The shadow terminator that separates the day and night sides of the moon is conspicuously absent at this time, as are the shadows that cast dramatic relief on the craters during the waxing and waning lunar phases. Instead, it’s a perfect time to explore the dark lunar “seas” that cover the moon’s surface where lava flooded impact basins billions of years ago, before hardening to create huge basaltic plains. Streaks of reflective material can also be seen leading away from bright young craters, where material was excavated from the lunar subsurface and dumped onto the moon’s surface during brutal asteroid impacts. Where and when to see the October full moon. Stargazers in the U.S. will get their first glimpse of the full moon as it rises into the eastern sky at sunset on October 25. Be sure to check Time & Date’s moonrise tracker to find out the exact times for your location. The moon often appears particularly large when it is near the horizon, thanks to a phenomenon called the “Moon Effect,” in which our brain tricks us into thinking that the lunar disk is larger when it is visually very close to the ground than when it is above us. You may be interested The moon can also acquire a spectacular yellow-orange color an hour after its rise, as the blue wavelengths of its reflected light, the shortest of the visible spectrum, are dispersed during its oblique passage through the Earth’s atmosphere. Why is the full moon in October called the “Hunter’s Moon”? The October full moon is commonly known as the Hunter’s Moon in the northern hemisphere because it rises shortly after farmers have gathered the summer harvest, leaving the fields bare for hunters. to catch their prey and prepare it as food for the winter, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The Cree of North America also call it the “Migratory Moon,” referring to birds traveling to warmer climates at the time of its rise. The Ojibwe and Haida know it as the “frost moon,” to reflect the drop in temperature that occurs in autumn. Do you want to make the most of the October full moon? Then be sure to check out our guide to observing the moon and photographing the lunar disk, along with our pick of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography. Editor’s Note: If you would like to share your October full moon photos with Space.com readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
