Tag: Hunter Moon

Full moon and partial eclipse for October

 

Full moon ( J Jacobs photo)
Full moon ( J Jacobs photo)

 

The October full moon, called the Hunter’s Moon, rises 4:24 p.m., Oct. 28, 2023, but it will be below the horizon so wait until sunset to watch it, says the Old Farmer’s Almanac. However, as with past full moons, you get a preview on Oct. 27 and a continuation on Sept. 29. 

Why the Hunter Moon? It’s related to the autumnal equinox.  It follows the Harvest Moon that came Sept.29 in 2023. Its name came from the time that hunters could better find deer after leaves fell and fields were cleared. 

Other names coming from Native Americans are Falling Leaves and freezing moon.  

We had a partial eclipse of the sun in mid-October. Now it’s the moon’s turn.

If you are outside the eastern part of the US or in Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe you get a bonus. You can watch a partial eclipse of the moon.  Time and Date will stream it live.

Hunter Moon appears large and bright for several nights

Fall full moon (J Jacobs photo)
Fall full moon (J Jacobs photo)

Don’t be surprised to find a large, bright orb peering into your windows this weekend.

October 2022’s full moon is technically Oct. 9 with full illumination at 4:54  p.m. ET. but it will look full Oct. 8- Oct. 11 due to it’s orbit in relation to the Sun and Earth.

 It will also look larger and more luminous than some of the year’s other full moons because it will appear at sunset when the sky is glowing

What’s in a name?

The Old Farmer’s Almanac explains that unlike folklore and native American names for full moons, The Harvest Moon and Hunter Moon are related to the autumn equinox.

 The Harvest Moon was the full moon closest to the fall equinox on Sept. 22 and so the October full moon is the Hunter Moon because that is the name of the moon that follows the Harvest Moon.

EarthSky  an excellent, on-line source of moon and planetary information, points out that the Harvest and Hunter moons relate to the season when autumn starts because of the moon’s orbital path at that time. That means that in the Northern Hemisphere the moon will appear bright in the east just as the sun is setting in the west for several nights.