October 2024 Full Hunter’s Moon

Did you see the full Hunter’s Moon on the evening of October 17?  If not, it will still look full and bright when it rises on October 18.  This is the third of four consecutive supermoons this year and it will be the closest full Moon of the year – 222,055 miles from Earth at perigee.  “Supermoon” is a trendy internet term for what astronomers call a perigean full Moon which is when the full Moon happens at, or very near, the exact time the Moon is closest to Earth during its orbit.  Supermoons are a bit larger and brighter, but these differences are so small the eye can’t see them.  Like all full Moons, they appear larger on the horizon because of the Moon illusion. 

The name Hunter’s Moon came from an important activity this time of year. After the harvest was complete farmers would hunt deer and other animals to feed their families during the long winter.  The full moon would allow them to continue hunting after sunset.  The full Moon names we’re familiar with have been used for generations.  They originated from Native American, Colonial American, and other sources such as European names for the Moon.  Many full Moon names are English interpretations of Native American full Moon names.  Native Americans didn’t have calendars to keep track of time.  Instead, they tracked time by observing the seasons and the lunar cycle.  Being keen observers of their environment, their full Moon names described what was going on in nature around them.   Since names depended on the tribe and where they lived, a full Moon may have several names.  So, although Hunter’s Moon is the most common name for October’s Moon there are others.  These names include the Dakota Drying Rice Moon, Anishinaabe Falling Leaves Moon, the Ojibwe Freezing Moon, the Haida Ice Moon, and the Cree Migrating Moon.  Traditionally full Moon names apply to the entire lunar month – through all phases of the Moon. 

The Harvest and Hunter’s full moons are unique in that they don’t follow tradition, instead of being tied to a specific month they’re tied to an astronomical event – the autumnal equinox.  The Harvest Moon is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox date September 21 or 22. This means that September or October’s full Moon could be the Harvest Moon.  The Hunter’s Moon is the first full Moon after the Harvest Moon which means it can occur in October or November.  The days are getting shorter and the nights chilly – perfect for watching the full Hunter’s Moon rise.