Happenings – Travel Smart With Jodie

A fine Supermoon this month

Best Superrmoon this year is early November Jacobs photo) — Good Supermoon early November Jacobs photo)

Oldsters might recall the words “by the light of the silvery moon.” That light is shining bright now.

November’s Full Moon is most illuminated at 8:19 a.m. EST on November 5, 2025 but it already appears full tonight, Nov. 4, so don’t worry you don’t see it early in the morning. Just look up tonight to see what we call the Hunter’s Moon or the Beaver’s Moon.

Whatever name you like it is a Supermoon and is brightest and fullest on Nov. 5, 2025. It appears larger than most other full moons because it will be closer to Earth.

But look again. It will still look full on Nov. 6.

Check the Moonrise and Moonset Calculator at the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac a Supermoon is a New or Full Moon that occurs when the Moon is near perigee (the point in the Moon’s orbit where it is closest to Earth). Thus there can be more than one Supermoon in a year.

“Supermoon” was the name given by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 for Moons within 90% of perigee.

The almanac goes on to say “According to this definition, in 2025, the Full Moons of October, November, and December all qualify as Supermoons—reaching 90% of perigee, the Moon’s closest approach to Earth.

Next year, 2026, will contain three Full Supermoons – January 3, 2026; November 24, 2026; and December 23, 2026.

Harvest Moon

**First Supermoon this year is early October Jacobs photo)**

Did the full moon wake you last night as it shone through the window covering? It did me.

The October 2025 full moon actually is 11:47 p.m. ET, Oct 6, but it will look large and full this weekend thru Oct.8 because it is a Supermoon.

It appears larger and brighter because it is closer to Earth than this year’s previous full moons. It is the first of three Supermoons in 2025.

It is also called the Harvest Moon which sometimes appears in September depending on when the autumnal equinox falls.

If you are driving past a field that is no longer full of corn you likely understand why the October full moon this year is called the Harvest Moon.

But sometimes we think of the Harvest Moon as falling in September. That “date” depends on the September (autumnal equinox) which this year was Sept. 22. The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox is called the Harvest Moon. This year we called the September full moon the Corn Moon.

BTW the Anishinaabe tribe calls the October Moon the Falling Leaves Moon.

Maybe you noticed evening started to come earlier after Sept. 22. Our daylight is shortening and our yard is covered with leaves.

More information at Time and Date and at Old Farmer’s Almanac

Black Moon this weekend

Forget about looking up for this sky happening

You have heard the phrase”Blue Moon” referring to a rare occasion. But what about a “Black Moon?”

Blue Moon is usually applied to the second full moon in a month but also the second new moon in a month. However, the second new moon in a season can also be termed a Black Moon.

What about the third new moon?

When we have a new moon this weekend – Friday/Saturday, it can be called a Black Moon. It is the third new moon in the astronomical season between the June solstice and the September equinox.

Astronomical seasons are based on the solstices and equinoxes. But meteorological seasons refer to the temperature cycles of fall, winter, spring and summer.

Jodie Jacobs

For more information visit Rare Black Moon coming August 22-23! Why so special? and What Is a Black Moon? The Unusual Sky Phenomenon Will Occur Later This Month, but Don’t Expect to See It

June Strawberry Moon

Last Spring full moon or first Summer full moon (J Jacobs photo) — **Last Spring full moon or first Summer full moon (J Jacobs**

The June 2025 Full Moon already is full even though it is considered at its fullest or most illuminated at 3:44 a.m. Eastern Time on June 11.

The Moon appears full before and after its peak illumination and it will appear all night because Moonrise and Moonset happen at about sunset and sunrise.

Don’t expect it to be tinted pink even though it’s nickname is the Strawberry Moon. As with other full moon names it reflects what is happening in the season and wild strawberries ripen now.

Some Native American names are Berries Ripen Moon, Green Corn Moon, and Hot Moon but Celtic and Old English names include Flower Moon, Planting Moon, Horse Moon and Dyan Moon. Anglo-Saxons called it the Mead Moon when the meadows or meads are mowed.

June’s full Moon, considered the last Full Moon of Spring (or first of Summer), reaches peak illumination June 11 at 3:44 a.m. Eastern Time. See the Full Moon Calculator for your local time.

A Moon usually appears reddish when it’s close to the horizon because the light rays must pass through the densest layers of the atmosphere. Indeed, June’s full moon will be at its lowest point since 2006 because we’re in a lunar standstill.

A lunar standstill or lunistice is when the Moon reaches its furthest north or furthest south point during a month.

More info at Time and Date and Farmers Almanac

Flower moon appears on Mothers Day

Full Moon ((J Jacobs photo) — Full Moon (J Jacobs photo)

Are the flowers in your garden patch coming up now?

As with some of the other full moon names, the one in May represents what is happening in the season. Thus Native Americans, early settlers and European planters called it, among other names, the Flower Moon.

Celtic and Old English background names include Mothers’ Moon, Bright Moon, Hare Moon, and Grass Moon, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. No surprise then that in 2025 the May Full Moon happens on Mother’s Day.

It was already mostly full and bright last night, May 8, in Chicago, but it actually gets fuller and reaches full illumination there on Monday, May 12 in the middle of the day at 11:56 a.m.

Flower Moon: Full Moon in May 2025 | The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Different American tribes such as the Dakotas and Algonquins were known to call it by that name. The Cree tribe used Budding Moon.

If looking up tonight, also watch for Spica, a bright star, hovering around the moon, according to Space.

The May Full Moon is a micro moon. Micro moon is applied when the Full Moon’s orbit is farthest from Earth. In this case that would be 405,278 kilometers (251,828 miles) away, according to Time and Date.

It won’t look any smaller and may even appear bigger due to the optical Moon illusion.

Eta Aquarid Meteors

Watch for the Eta Aquarids meteor shower. Going on now, its best Chicago area watch dates in 2025 are before dawn May 5-6 when you may catch up to 50 meteors per hour. The Eta Aquarids is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Comet Halley (1P/Halley). The next time Earth passes through Halley’s path around the Sun is in October as the Oronid meteor shower.

A pink full moon

Well, not really pink. That is what the full moon on April 12, 2025 is called.

As you likely know from reading this full moon series, the titles refer either to Native American’s views of the seasons, the European growing times or the flora and fauna early American settlers noticed as seasons changed.

The April Pink full moon derived its title from Phlox subulata, a North American wildflower often called creeping phlox, moss phlox and moss pink.

The 2025 Pink Full Moon is at its height of illumination at 8:22 p.m. EDT (00:22 Greenwich Mean Time April 13). That time is before it reaches apogee, the point where the Moon is farthest from Earth. Thus the April Pink Moon will look small, like a micro-moon. Of course you can watch for the moon to rise above the horizon.

Another important name for the April full moon is the Paschal Moon because it is the first ecclesiastical (14th day in the lunar cycle) full Moon of Spring after the equinox and determines the date of Easter.

Yes, you can watch for the moon at sunset a day or two before April 12 and a day or two afterwards.

For more information visit The Old Farmer’s Almanac , TimeandDate

and EarthSky

Spring really starts this Thursday

Four large white and red parachutes are fully deployed above a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft splashing into the water.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore land in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, March 18, 2025 after an unpredictably long nine months at the International Space Station. Photo courtesy of NASA/Keegan Barber

We’re celebrating Spring, a good time to applaud the two astronauts’ return to Earth and the change of seasons.

It’s OK to be confused. Those of us recently told to “Spring forward” might have thought our weather was about to change along with our moving one-hour-ahead time.

For many of us in the Midwest it did. We didn’t get much flower and crop growing rain. But we experienced some warmer temps. Strangely enough they came every other day as if Mother Nature was trying to balance the seasonal changes in weather.

Well, now that we are actually checking our phone or2025 paper calendar we see that Spring is marked as happening on Thursday, March 20. Why?

In the Northern Hemisphere Spring is tied to the March Vernal Equinox. That is when the Sun crosses the middle of the equator moving from south to north. It is also the first day of Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

In Chicago, Illinois, that happens at 4:01 am CDT, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Corresponding UTC is at 09:01.)

Remember that Meteorological Spring started on March 1 and runs through May 31 every year no matter the timing of the vernal equinox.

For more information visit Spring Time and Date and Farmers’ almanac Spring

BTW March 2025 may be remembered more as the month our two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station finally returned to Earth in time to celebrate the first day of Spring.

March moon at full and eclipse mode

The skies will be particularly interesting in March

Don’t forget to wear something green on St. Pats Day, March 15. But first mark March 13-14 for a lunar eclipse. Then, mark March 29 for when the New Moon covers part of the Sun in a partial solar eclipse.

The March Full Moon is known as the Worm Moon for when the soil and weather is right for earthworms to peek out. It is also called the Lenten Moon reflecting the timing of the pre-Easter Lent period.

The March full moon 2024 is the closest full moon to the March equinox. It’s also called the Sugar Moon for when to tap tree sap. (Check your local forest and park districts which may be holding sugar tapping events.)

Lunar Eclipse
It’s not just the sun that has eclipses. Watch the moon disappear March 13-14, 2025.

Visible from all of North America, the March full moon will have a total Lunar Eclipse. The Moon will enter its penumbra stage at 11:56 P.M. EDT (8:56 P.M. PDT), March 13 and the umbra at 1:09 A.M. EDT on March 14 (10:09 P.M. PDT, March 13).

It will leave the umbra stage at 4:48 A.M. EDT (1:48 A.M. PDT) on March 14 and the penumbra at 6:02 A.M. EDT (3:02 A.M. PDT). No solar glasses needed.

During a lunar eclipse, the Sun, Moon, and Earth are in a line with the Earth between the Moon and Sun. Therefore, our planet casts a reddish shadow over the Moon (also known as the umbra).

The full bright “Blood” or “Earthworm” Moon will be at peak illumination at 2:55 A.M. ET on Friday, March 14. However, look for a bright Moon rising above the horizon, Thursday evening.

Because it will look closer to us near the horizon, it will look large. That’s called a Moon illusion.

Partial Solar Eclipse

It can be viewed in northeastern North America around sunrise and mid-morning across Europe. (Sunrise is at 6:31 EDT in Boston.). The moon’s central shadow will miss Earth so no totality but it will still be a solar eclipse.

According to Space much of Europe will see a large partial solar eclipse.

The best views will be for in the far eastern area of North America, where an eclipsed sun will appear on the eastern horizon at sunrise.

For more information visit almanac and Space

Two Midwest events worth seeing

7_North Dakota_Some Things in Life

North Dakota “People’s Choice 1st Place 2024 Award”(Photo courtesy of Lake Geneva and the Snow Sculpting Invitational)

It’s easy to overlook events in late January and early February before we start planning short trips in spring when the weather is better. But here are two happenings really worth seeing and enjoying no matter the weather.

Lake Geneva, WI Winterfest

Enough snow to turn into very large sculptures won’t be a problem this year but even when it is the Lake Geneva Winterfest brings in huge blocks for teams to use as competition-worthy, story-telling objects.

A charming town that historically is known as a summer Chicago society getaway, Lake Geneva, WI has been holding the Snow Sculpting Invitational festival for 30 years. To mark its anniversary, 15 former championship teams from around the United States have been invited back for this year’s competition.

Held this year over the weekend of Jan. 29 through Feb, 2, 2025, visitors can watch the sculptors at work, see the final products and vote on Feb. 1, for a favorite. Judges will also be voting in various categories that day.

The event is free and held in Riviera Plaza and Flat Iron Park along the shore of Geneva Lake (yes, Lake Geneva, WI is on Geneva Lake). The sculptors get their snow block on Wednesday and have to finish on Saturday, February 1.

Sculptures will be displayed until they melt but most visitors drive over on Saturday and leave on Sunday. Meanwhile, do the Downtown Ice Sculpture Walk, shop the boutiques and see art galleries and dog racing.

Lake Geneva has numerous restaurants and places to stay.

The Orchid Show of Wonders at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Chicago Botanic Garden

This event is indoors. Every February orchids take over the Greenhouses and main hall inside the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL. With a nod to Orchids’ exotic growing locals, this year the show is called “India Blooms” and runs from February 8 to March 23, 2025.

Plus and donor level members are free. Otherwise tickets are as follows: Adult $12 member / $22 nonmember, children ages 3 – 12 $8 member / $15 nonmember and children 2 and under, free. Parking fee is not included in price for nonmembers. Member Preview is Feb. 7 from 5-8 p.m. featuring light bites, live music and cash bar.

Special ticketed Events: Orchids After Hours Feb. 14 ,21, 28 and March 13, 14, 20 and 21 from 5 -8 p.m. cocktails and delicious bites.

In addition there is the Weekend Orchid Market Place on Feb. 8-9, 15-16, 22-23 and Mar.1-2 to buy orchids, and supplies from vendors, the Illinois Orchid Society Show and Sale on March 8 – 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to view orchid arrangements and shop and an Indian community Marketplace March 22-23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to shop for Indian products.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is at 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL just east of Edens Exp.

More information at Chicago Botanic Org/orchids