With the next full moon close to Halloween, there’s also a chance it will have an orange hue, like a glowing jack-o’-lantern.
The Hunter’s Moon is the first full moon following the Harvest Moon. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Algonquin Native American tribes named the October full moon the Hunter’s Moon because it marked the time to start hunting in preparation for winter. The illumination of the moon also allowed hunters to spot prey.
Other names for this full moon are the Sanguine Moon or Blood Moon.
This will be the biggest, brightest supermoon of 2024 — the closest to Earth at approximately 222,000 miles away. It is the third of four straight supermoons, ahead of next month’s Beaver Moon.
The Hunter’s Moon will reach peak illumination at 7:26 a.m. Thursday, but the best viewing time will be that evening. The chance for an orange hue is due to its light passing through a thicker layer of air, with blue wavelengths scattered by the atmosphere.
Here are all of the full moons from 2024 and their names:
- Jan. 25 – Wolf Moon
- Feb. 24 – Snow Moon
- March 25 – Worm Moon
- April 23 – Pink Moon
- May 23 – Flower Moon
- June 21 – Strawberry Moon
- July 21 – Buck Moon
- Aug. 19 – Sturgeon Moon (supermoon)
- Sept. 17 – Harvest Moon (supermoon)
- Oct. 17 – Hunter’s Moon (supermoon)
- Nov. 15 – Beaver Moon (supermoon)
- Dec. 15 – Cold Moon
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