The spooky season is here and what better way to prepare for Halloween than with a full moon?
October’s full moon doesn’t fall on Halloween, but it does give you plenty of time to decorate and practice your best cackle to prepare. And even though people won’t be able to see the peak of the full moon because it occurs in the early morning, it will still be a sight to behold because it’s another supermoon.
This month, the first full moon of autumn is known as the Hunter’s Moon and is the final supermoon in a series we’ve been enjoying since August. And this supermoon will be the closest of the year, according to Space.com.
Here’s everything you need to know about the next full moon.
When is the next full moon?
According to NASA, the full moon will reach its peak on Thursday, October 17, 2024, around 7:26 a.m. EDT.
And although the moon’s peak is after sunrise, the moon will fully appear to the casual stargazer on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, according to Space.com.
What is the October full moon called?
In the United States, October’s full moon is known as the Hunter’s Moon. It is the month when game (deer, elk, bear, etc.) fattens up for the winter months, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. In the past, this was also the time when people would hunt for supplies for the longer, colder months ahead.
“Many moons ago, Indians called this bright moon for obvious reasons,” the almanac said. “The leaves are falling from the trees, the deer have been fattened and it’s time to stock up on meat for the long winter ahead.”
The name of October’s full moon is based on the name of the Algonquin people, other indigenous peoples have different names for the moon, according to the Farmer’s Almanac:
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Drying rice moon: Used by the Dakota to describe the following process in preparing rice for the winter.
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Falling Leaves Moon: Used by the Anishinaabe for when the leaves begin to fall from the trees.
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Freezing moon: Used by the Ojibwe to refer to the increasingly cold temperatures of this period.
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Ice Moon: Used by the Haida to refer to the increasingly cold temperatures of this period.
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Migrating moon: Used by the Cree to refer to the time when birds begin flying south.
Why is the moon so big? What is a supermoon?
The moon will look quite big this month because it is also a supermoon.
A supermoon occurs when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its 27-day orbit, or perigee. The moon must also be in its full phase, which happens every 29.5 days, according to Space.com. Normally, supermoons only occur a few times a year at most, which is due to changes in the moon’s orbital orientation as the Earth orbits the sun.
Even though supermoons may only occur a few times a year, in 2024 we saw four in a row.
August was the first in the series of four supermoons, with the closest supermoon to Earth occurring on Thursday, October 17 at 6:26 am CT/7:26 am ET.
What are the different full moons called? When will they be?
Each full moon has its own name. Here in North America we adopt the names for the full moons from indigenous peoples, usually from different parts of North America.
In the 1930s, the Maine Farmers’ Almanac began publishing names used among the Algonquin tribes from New England west to Lake Superior. Here’s a look at when other full moons are expected to occur in 2024, according to NASA:
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October 17, Hunter’s Moon
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November 15, Beaver Moon
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December 15, Cold Moon
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: When is the October 2024 full moon? Hunter’s Moon is coming this week
