Today, the full Hunter’s Moon will create a spooky atmosphere with a partial lunar eclipse, setting the stage for a perfect Halloween weekend.
This weekend, as the full Hunter’s Moon undergoes a partial lunar eclipse, it promises to provide a thrilling and eerie spectacle for those celebrating Halloween.
The partial lunar eclipse will be visible to observers in Africa, Europe, Asia, and parts of Western Australia. It will commence at 2:01 p.m. EDT (1801 GMT) on October 28, and you can watch the event live here on Space.com, starting at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT). For specific timing details of the October 28 lunar eclipse, please refer to our guide on when to look up.
According to In the Sky, viewers in New York City can anticipate the rise of the Hunter’s Full Moon at around 5:19 p.m. local time, with the sun setting at 5:53 p.m. This full moon will illuminate the night for little ghosts and goblins until it sets at 08:14 EDT the following day. This particular Hunter’s Moon will be exceptional as it will feature a partial lunar eclipse, creating the impression of a ‘bite’ taken out of it.
Keep an eye out for bright Jupiter, shining close enough to the moon that you can enjoy both in a single view through binoculars.
Following the Hunter’s Moon, the moon’s illuminated face will gradually diminish, a phenomenon astronomers refer to as ‘waning,’ leading up to the completely dark new moon on Monday, November 13. This marks the beginning of a new 29.5-day lunar cycle.
The name for October’s full moon, the Hunter’s Moon, has its origins in the early 1700s, according to Farmer’s Almanac. It alludes to the hunting of deer, turkey, pheasants, and other game animals in the late Autumn, which have been feasting on abundant food during the summer.
While the Hunter’s Moon is the most commonly used name for the October full moon in the Northern Hemisphere, there are alternative names associated with hunting, such as the Pagan and English Medieval names, the “Sanguine Moon” or the “Blood Moon.”
In the Great Lakes region, the Anishinaabe people call it Binaakwe-giizis, the Falling Leaves Moon, or Mshkawji-giizis, the Freezing Moon. The Cree Nation of central Canada refers to it as Opimuhumowipesim, the Migrating Moon, highlighting the month when birds are on the move. The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois / Mohawk) of Eastern North America call it Kentenha, the Time of Poverty Moon.
The frosty lunar appellations continue into November with the full moon next month, falling on November 27, commonly known as the Beaver Moon. It is also known by alternative names such as “Moon of Much White Frost On Grass” from the Algonquin and the “Frost Moon” in the language of the Assiniboine Nation.
