Hunter's Moon, biggest supermoon of 2024, is coming in October. Details inside
October Supermoon
The year's biggest supermoon, the Hunter's Moon, will rise in the sky next week. Astronomers have been thrilled to see three back-to-back supermoons this year, but October's supermoon is going to be extra special.
It will be the only moon to come this close to Earth in 2024, making it appear extremely large. The supermoon will occur on October 17, reaching its fullest point merely hours after coming to its closest point. It will be 220,055 miles from Earth on this day.
The sky this month is filled with cosmic wonders. You can see two comets this month, with one of them already taking people's breath away. The second comet will visit towards the end of October.
A new star is also set to emerge in the sky.
When is the full moon in October 2024?
The Hunter's Moon will reach its peak brightness on October 17, as per NASA. It will rise at 6:13 pm ET in the United States and in India at 4:56 pm. On the West Coast, the full moon will rise at 6:25 pm.
A cloudless night will present the best opportunity to see the full moon.
Will there be a full moon on Halloween?
Unfortunately, the full moon isn't going to stay around that long as it will enter its last moon phase on October 24. The night of Halloween is expected to be really dark.
As per EarthSky, you'll have to wait till 2039 to have the next full moon on Halloween. According to Old Farmer's Almanac, full moons on Halloween are rare, and occur once every 18-19 years. The last time it happened was in 2020.
Why is it called Hunter's Moon?
Full Moons are named after special occurrences during that time. The name Hunter's Moon is linked to the Algonquin Native American tribe. In many regions, this is the time when people stock up on meat for the approaching winters, and so the name Hunter's Moon.
Hunter's Moon occurs after a Harvest Moon, which comes around the autumnal equinox. It is also known as Corn Ripe Moon, the Falling Leaves Moon, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Other names linked to Native American tribes are Drying Rice Moon, Freezing Moon, and Migrating Moon.
