Each month the different phases of the moon lead us to witness a full moon , although some of them stand out more than others. This is the case of the October full moon that, although it occurs on October 20 , is also called the Hunter’s Moon, so we now reveal its origin and meaning, how to see it and why it is called that.
Hunter’s Moon: when is the October full moon
If you do not want to miss the full moon that occurs this October 20, you should know that we can see it in the skies from 4:57 p.m. , although it will be better to wait until it gets dark (from 7:00 p.m.) to make it fully visible reaching its highest point at midnight . However, since October 18, the full moon was in the skies, so much of the phenomenon of the hunter’s moon has occurred in the previous days despite the fact that it is Wednesday when it is considered to occur.
If you look at the sky after sunset you can see how the full moon in the sky looks orange , since the Earth’s atmosphere thickens on the horizon, so the blue light is scattered and lets the sunlight leaks through. We will also see how the moon is bigger than usual, something that is due to the so-called “lunar illusion”, which is the optical phenomenon that makes us see the moon as if it were larger because it is closer to the horizon and more high in the sky.
Why is it called Hunter’s Moon?
The Hunter’s Moon is the October full moon that occurs after the Harvest Moon , the full moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox, so that in our hemisphere (north) it occurs between the months of October and November.
The reason for its name is due to the fact that it is apparently the moon that marks the right time to hunt. According to the tradition of the Indian tribes, who normally mentioned or gave names to all the full moons of the year, after the harvest moon the animals began to gain weight for the winter so they came out of their burrows to eat the remains of the crops, thus being the ideal time to hunt them.
This is the main reason for the name Hunter’s Moon, but the truth is that the October full moon receives other names in other cultures. For example, in China it is known as the Soft Moon , while in South Africa it is known as the Sowing Moon or Blood Moon, which is the name attributed to it in medieval English. Other names are Waking Moon, Egg Moon, or Pink Moon.
When will the next full moon occur?
After the hunter’s moon, the next full moon that we can see in the skies will be on November 19, 2021 , which is known as the Beaver’s Moon.
