A full, hunter’s supermoon is coming: Here’s what it means

The first full moon of fall — also one of this year's four 'supermoons' — rises today in the eastern sky. The hunter's moon is the first full moon after September's autumnal equinox-adjacent harvest moon. While the hunter's moon will reach its brightest at 7:26 a.m. ET, the moon will be below the horizon then. The Old Farmer's Almanac advises waiting "until sunset to watch it rise and take its place in the sky."

The names of full moons are derived from the almanac , a reference book published regularly since the 18th century. The almanac, in turn, cites traditions of Native Americans, Colonial America and other North American-centered sources passed down through generations. The hunter's moon in October was so named for the time of year when hunters began collecting wild game, like deer, to store for the cold winter months. Game animals are typically fattened up to prepare themselves for the season.

The earliest recorded mention of "hunter's moon" was in 1710 in the Oxford English Dictionary.

The next full moon — the Beaver moon — will occur Nov. 15.

More: Keep your eyes to the skies: Hunter's supermoon will be rising soon

Lunar terms: Your guide to full moons for 2024: Supermoons, solstices, equinoxes and more

A look at moon phases

The full moon falls in the midpoint of the lunar cycle when the Earth is positioned directly between the sun and the moon. The moon takes about 30 days to orbit the Earth, which is the full lunary cycle.

What is a supermoon?

When the moon’s orbit brings it closer to Earth than usual, the cosmic combo is called a supermoon . A supermoon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth at the same time the moon is full. This happens when the full moon falls at perigee — its closest point to Earth in its orbit. Perigee is when the moon is 221,519 miles from Earth and appears bigger and brighter than a normal full moon.

When the moon reaches apogee, it’s at its farthest from Earth, a distance of 252,712 miles. If a full moon occurs while the moon is at apogee, it is called a micromoon .

Contributing: Doyle Rice

SOURCES USA TODAY reporting; The Old Farmer's Almanac

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A full, hunter’s supermoon is coming: Here’s what it means