Photo: Hunter Moon / Shutterstock
Last month, the Lower Mainland was treated to a rare treat: a breathtaking full harvest moon on Friday the 13th.
What made the big day even more special is that there won’t be another be another one of them for a whopping 30 years; the next one will take place it on Aug. 13, 2049.
Now, the witching moon is upon us - the October full moon. Of course, it isn't actually a spooky moon, but it falls in the month of October when all of the ghouls, goblins, and ghosts come out to frolic for Halloween.
With that in mind, the most common name for this year's October moon is the full hunter moon. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the hunter moon is one of only two full moons that changes months depending on which is the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox. What's more, they note that, "Because the Hunter’s Moon rises from the horizon around sunset, it may appear bigger and more orange than your typical full Moon."
Since the harvest moon took place in September this year, the full hunter moon will take place on Sunday, Oct. 13.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac also notes that Native peoples would give distinctive names to each reoccurring full moon to mark the change of seasons. As such, many of these names arose when Native Americans first interacted with colonialists. They note that the hunter moon may have derived its name from the time that people would hunt in preparation for winter. In addition, the moon is also referred to as the Sanguine or Blood Moon, "either associated with the blood from with hunting or the turning of the leaves in autumn."
Stargazers should opt to travel as far away from city lights as possible in order to avoid light pollution that will obscure the clarity of heavenly bodies. While this works best in more remote places, anywhere that has a higher elevation will also provide more ideal viewing conditions.
