Here's everything you need to know about October’s supermoon and when to catch the next one

October’s hunter’s supermoon will illuminate the autumn sky Thursday evening, marking the third supermoon of 2024 and first full moon of the fall season. Plus, something about this month’s celestial event sets it apart from the rest.

Not only is October’s full moon a supermoon, it will only be 222,055 miles from Earth — making it the closest and brightest supermoon of the year, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac .

Here’s everything you need to know about this month's supermoon:

When is the full moon in October?

October’s hunter's supermoon first made its appearance in the night sky on Tuesday, Oct. 15 and reached peak illumination at 6:26 a.m. CT Thursday morning. But, it was below the horizon at time of its peak illumination, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac , which told sky gazers to wait until sunset on Thursday to see it rise.

The hunter’s supermoon will be visible Thursday evening through Friday morning, according to NASA .

What is a supermoon?

A supermoon appears when a full moon occurs simultaneously with the moon’s closest orbit to Earth, according to NASA .

The celestial phenomenon occurs three or four times annually and always appears consecutively, per NASA . The first supermoon of 2024 was on Monday, Aug. 19, followed up by another on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

Why is October’s full moon called the hunter’s moon?

The October moon gets its name from its historic status as a symbol for hunters to begin preparations for winter, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac , which also noted its sometimes referred to as a blood or sanguine moon.

When is November’s full moon?

The next full moon to light up the sky will be on Friday, Nov. 15. This moon — dubbed the beaver moon — will reach peak illumination at 4:29 p.m. after becoming visible early on Thursday, Nov. 14, according to NASA .

Will we see a supermoon next month too?

Yes. November’s full moon will be the last of the consecutive supermoons for the year, according to NASA .

When is the last full moon in 2024?

According to experts, the last full moon of 2024 will appear on Sunday, Dec. 15. This full moon — dubbed the cold moon — will have peak illumination around 3:02 a.m. that morning.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's everything you need to know about October’s supermoon and when to catch the next one