October's full moon — the hunters' moon that follows the Harvest Moon, lighting the autumn hunt. The lore, the look, and how to see it.
After the Harvest Moon lit the gathering of crops, October's full moon lit the hunt: fields lay bare, animals were fat for winter, and the bright moon let hunters work into the night. Like the Harvest Moon it shows the 'short rising interval' effect — rising only a little later each night, giving several evenings of early moonlight.
The Hunter's Moon shares the Harvest Moon's trick: around this time of year the Moon's orbit meets the horizon at a shallow angle, so it rises only ~25–30 minutes later each night instead of the usual ~50. The result is several consecutive evenings with a big, bright moon low in the east soon after dusk.
Get a closer look
A beginner telescope or good astronomy binoculars bring the Moon's craters and phases into stunning detail.
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