Oct 16, 2024 - Science

How and when to see October's supermoon

Kelly Tyko

Large full moon appears on top of a building — Hunter's Moon rises over the buildings on California Street in San Francisco on Oct. 27, 2023. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images

October's supermoon, known as the Hunter's Moon, will be the biggest and brightest full moon of the year.

Why it matters: The third of this year's four consecutive supermoons arrives during an active month of skywatching between rare northern lights sightings and the once-in-a-lifetime comet.

When is October's full moon?

The big picture: The full moon will reach its peak at 7:26am ET Thursday, Oct. 17, per NASA.

But the Moon will be closest to Earth for this orbit at 8:57pm ET Wednesday night, NASA said.
The Moon will appear full through Friday morning.

What is a supermoon?

Supermoon refers to a full or a new moon rising near or while the moon reaches perigee, its closest distance to Earth in its orbit around the planet, according to NASA.

Supermoons occur about three to four times a year, according to NASA.
Full supermoons appear approximately 30% brighter and 14% larger than usual full moons.

Why is October's full moon called Hunter's Moon?

Fun fact: It's known as Hunter's Moon because its appearance was once a signal for hunters to prepare for the upcoming winter, according to Almanac.com.

Other names for the October Moon are the Travel Moon, the Dying Grass Moon, or the Sanguine or Blood Moon, NASA said.

Supermoon dates 2024

Zoom in: Aug. 19 was the Blue Moon, and Sept. 17 was the Harvest Moon.

The fourth and final supermoon of the year will be Nov. 15 and is called the Beaver Moon, according to Almanac.com.

Orionid meteor shower

The Orionid meteor shower is expected to peak around Oct. 20-21 and will be most visible from midnight through before dawn, according to EarthSky.org.

The American Meteor Society says the meteor shower will be active until Nov. 22.

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