What are "stellar earthquakes" in the Milky Way?
0:51
(CNN) —
October's full moon is just around the corner, serving as a reminder: The most unsettling season is upon us.
On Sunday, October 9, shortly before 5:00 p.m. (Miami time), a full moon will reach its maximum illumination, reported the Department of Astronomical Applications of the US Naval Observatory. However, it will continue to be below horizon and you'll have to wait until sunset to fully enjoy the hunter's moon and its ghostly glow.
Why "hunter's moon"?
Each full moon comes with a long list of nicknames typically tied to the months of the year during which it occurs, according to EarthSky.
However, the Hunter Moon and its September predecessor, the Harvest Moon, are named after the seasons.
September's full moon was the closest to this year's fall equinox, which fell on September 22 and thus became the 2022 harvest moon, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Thus, the full moon after the harvest moon becomes, by default, the hunter's moon.
(Native American tribes have different names for full moons, such as the Arapaho tribe's "falling leaves moon" for this month's full moon, or the Passamaquoddy tribe's "frozen fish moon" for the full moon that occurs in December).
advertising
Historically, the hunter's moon has signaled to farmers that it was time to prepare for the cold of winter ahead, as the light of the full moon provided easy visibility for hunting the animals that would feed them during the cold months, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
"The animals began to fatten up before winter, and since farmers cleared their fields under the harvest moon, hunters could easily see the deer and other animals they had gone looking for among the remains," explains The Old Farmer's Almanac .
While these early farmers looked to their lit fields during a full moon for a successful hunt, you can look up.
(And if you're feeling up to it, you can always make some food.)
The Moon could have been created in a few hours, according to NASA 1:01
The hunter's moon will be visible for the first time in the sky on Saturday, October 8.
And as the sun sinks below the horizon on Sunday night, the moon will look larger and oranger than usual, a result of the 'moon illusion' phenomenon, a trick the brain plays through the eyes.
When the moon is low in the sky, it is seen relative to things like chimneys and trees so our eyes can understand their size and shape, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
"The brain compares the size of the Moon to trees, buildings, or other landmarks, and suddenly the Moon looks huge!"
The remaining events in 2022
The hunter's moon won't be the only reason this weekend to keep an eye on the sky: the Draconid meteor shower will be most visible around 7 pm ET on October 8.
The meteor shower occurs "when Earth collides with bits of debris spewed out by periodic comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner," NASA's Solar System Exploration Virtual Research Institute said.
"The comet orbits the sun once every 6.6 years, leaving tendrils of dust in its wake" that are visible to the naked eye, NASA explained.
You can also prepare to watch for these upcoming meteor shower events later this year, according to EarthSky's 2022 Meteor Shower Guide:
• Orionids: October 20 and 21
• South Taurids: November 5
• Northern Taurids: November 12
• Leonidas: November 17-18
• Geminids: December 13 and 14
• Ursids: December 22-23
There are two more full moons on the calendar for 2022, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac:
• November 8: beaver moon
• December 7: cold moon
And there will be two more eclipses, one solar and one lunar, that will occur this year.
A partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible to those in parts of Greenland, Iceland, most of Europe, northeast Africa, and western and central Asia.
A total lunar eclipse will also be visible on November 8 in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America between 3:02 and 8:56 am ET.
But for people in eastern North America, the moon will set during that time.
It is important to wear proper eclipse glasses to view solar eclipses safely, as sunlight can damage your eyes.
full moon moon
