As if the South Texas sky hasn’t been home to enough this past week (looking at you, aurora borealis and comet!), October’s full moon officially peaks on Thursday.
Full moon basics:
October’s full moon, referred to as the “Hunter’s Moon” is slated to occur on Oct. 17.
While the moon won’t officially become full until 6:26 a.m. CDT Thursday, you’ll likely notice the big bright moon as early as Wednesday evening with mostly clear skies in the forecast.
Here’s a look at the upcoming moonrise and moonset times in San Antonio:
| Day | Moonset | Moonrise |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, October 16 | 6:34 a.m. | 6:35 p.m. |
| Thursday, October 17 | 7:44 a.m. | 7:11 p.m. |
| Friday, October 18 | 8:56 a.m. | 7:52 p.m. |
| Saturday, October 19 | 10:10 a.m. | 8:38 p.m. |
How did the ‘Hunter’s Moon’ get its name?
According to timeanddate.com, October’s full moon was named the “Hunter’s Moon” to signify the hunting that would take place in the Northern Hemisphere this time of year to prepare for the winter season.
Here’s a list of the traditional full moon names:
-
January: Wolf Moon
-
February: Snow Moon
-
March: Worm Moon
-
April: Pink Moon
-
May: Flower Moon
-
June: Strawberry Moon
-
July: Buck Moon
-
August: Sturgeon Moon
-
September: Harvest / Corn Moon
-
October: Harvest / Hunter’s Moon
-
November: Beaver Moon
-
December: Cold Moon
This year’s ‘Hunter’s Moon’ is a supermoon
October’s “Hunter’s Moon” is also a supermoon this year. According to NASA, a supermoon is “either a new or full moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth.”
This supermoon will be the third of four consecutive supermoons this year, with the last one occurring in November.
KSAT Connect:
If you happen to take a photo of the full moon over the next few days, feel free to upload it to KSAT Connect for the opportunity to see it on-air! You can submit your photos using the link here.