Get ready to gaze at the brightest full moon of 2024 in the coming couple of nights. Dubbed as the Hunter’s Moon, this October’s full moon is a supermoon, which means that it appears larger and brighter than the regular full moon. This supermoon is the third of the four that will appear in 2024.
The peak of the full moon is on Thursday afternoon while being below the horizon in the UK. However, the moon will still look bright and mostly full during the evening and the coming nights.
Each month, full moons are named based on what might be happening in nature at that time. The Hunter’s Moon is named after this month’s full moon because the leaves start to fall, and animals have plumped up over the summer to prepare for winter. As a result, hunting activities increase during this time of year in ancient communities.
The next supermoon after the Hunter’s Moon will be the Beaver Moon, scheduled on 15 November. Beavers start taking shelter in their lodges ahead of winter during this time, leading to the name “Beaver Moon.”
The Hunter’s Moon will appear 14% brighter and 30% bigger than the regular full moons. The Moon’s elliptical orbit around Earth means that it is closer to Earth during the perigee, which occurred on Wednesday night. As a result, the Hunter’s supermoon will be the highlight of this year’s supermoons. Photographs of the Hunter’s supermoon taken using a long lens will give the illusion of a larger moon.
The Hunter’s supermoon will rise in the eastern sky at approximately 6:00 PM BST in the UK. The good news is that it will be visible across the UK, with clear skies across the country on Thursday night. By the early hours of Friday morning, mist and fog patches will form in large areas across the UK. Check the weather forecast on the BBC website or app to plan the ideal supermoon viewing experience
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