Hunter full moon: When and where to watch the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2024?

The Hunter full moon in October will be another special supermoon. While the Sturgeon supermoon in August was a “blue moon”, and the Harvest supermoon in September was eclipsed by the Earth, the third of four this year will be the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2024.

That’s because it will be the closest to the Earth of any of the supermoons this year when its entire surface is illuminated by the Sun. Stargazers will be able to enjoy peak illumination on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 7:26 am EDT according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. However, for a couple days before and after it will appear as if it is full.

Why is it called the Hunter Moon?

The month that the Hunter Moon coincides with depends on the equinox, which occurs around September 22–23. This celestial event marks the changing of the seasons, summer to autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and winter to spring in the Southern Hemisphere.  The full moon that falls closest to that date is called the Harvest Moon and the one after that the Hunter Moon.

This means that the Hunter Moon can occur in either October or November, and the Harvest Moon in September or October. Whereas other full moons generally give their name to the whole month and they are applied to all the moon phases, this isn’t the case with the Harvest and Hunter Moons says the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Nor is the name itself directly related to the Native American, Colonial American, or European folklore that other full moons receive. The Hunter Moon indicates that it is time to begin hunting to load up the stores with meat for the coming winter.

It is also a prime season to collect meat as at this time of year animals have been fattening themselves up in preparation for the lean and cold months ahead. Not to mention that now that the harvesting is done, there is less cover for the animals that are gathering what the farmers left behind in the fields and are thus easier to hunt. Likewise, wolves and foxes tend to come out at this time to hunt as well.

Among the other names that are given to the Hunter Moon according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac are the Sanguine or Blood Moon. This could be related to the blood spilt while hunting, or perhaps the changing colors of the leaves in the fall.

What makes a full moon a supermoon?

As for why it is a super moon, they occur when the moon is full at the same time as its closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, or perigee. A full moon is considered a supermoon, not an official astronomical term, when it comes within 90 percent of perigee. They always appear consecutively three or four times a year.

On average, supermoons appear about 7 percent bigger and about 15 percent brighter than a typical full moon. Compared to the moon at its faintest, a supermoon is roughly 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter.

Catching sight of the event as it comes into view will make it seem even bigger than it really is thanks to the ‘big moon illusion’. To know exactly where it will appear on the horizon there is an online application MoonCalc, which will come in useful if you want to take a picture.

How to take a picture of the supermoon?

If you are looking to catch the perfect photo of the supermoon there are some tools that can help you. For your smartphone there is a useful app, PhotoPills, available for iOS and Android. So that you can make the most of using the app PetaPixel gives a walk through of the app’s features.