Skywatchers will be treated to quite the celestial show this week, as we not only enjoy the bright view of a naked-eye comet, but we’ll also get to see the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year when the Hunter’s Moon fills the night sky this Thursday.
The absolute best time to get a glimpse at this beautiful supermoon is going to be right around Moonrise, wherever you are. That takes place during dusk when the moon is just starting to rise above the horizon. You can find out exactly when moonrise will take place in your city by heading over to TimeandDate’s handy’ lookup page.
The Hunter’s supermoon is the tenth of the 12 full moons that will appear this year, and it is named because of its tendency to rise around the same time for several nights. This provides additional light during the night for hunters and gatherers, making this an opportune time for hunters to get out there and find food for their families as they prepare to hunker down for the winter.
As with any supermoon, this particular full moon is called that because it appears much larger than a traditional full moon. That’s because the moon is at what scientists call a full perigee, which means it is at its closest point in the lunar orbit around our planet. There are four more supermoons expected this year, with the latest happening on Thursday.
As I noted above, this one also happens to be the biggest and brightest supermoon that we’ll see this year, so you can expect quite a beautiful view if you head outside and look up around Moonrise. And because there are a few more supermoons expected to happen this year, the Hunter’s supermoon isn’t your last chance to see one. However, it is one you don’t want to miss.
Beyond Thursday at Moonrise local time, you’ll also be able to get a great view of the Hunter’s moon on Friday, October 18, when it is 97 percent lit as a waning gibbous moon. It won’t a full moon technically, but by all intents and purposes it will still look like one.
