October Hunter Moon

Trending in the US since Oct 26, 1:40 AM EDT · about 10K+ searches · covered by 7 news outlets

The story behind it

Full moons have traditional names tied to the seasons. Farmers and hunters in the Northern Hemisphere used this October moon to mark the end of the harvest and the start of hunting for winter food. The Old Farmer's Almanac says the extra evening light let hunters track game longer into the night. Indigenous peoples of North America have used other names for this moon, including Falling Leaves Moon and Freezing Moon.

The background

The full moon known as the Hunter's Moon lit up skies around the world over the weekend. Photos from places including San Francisco, Manhattan, Istanbul and Baghdad showed the moon rising and setting in clear skies.

The moon reached peak brightness just after midnight on Monday, Oct. 26, in Eastern time. Forecasters said it would look orange or reddish when low on the horizon, especially near sunset. This full moon also comes after the Harvest Moon and close to the start of autumn, which is why it draws attention each year.

What happens next

The moon will still look full through Tuesday, Oct. 27, as it begins to wane. The next full moons are the Beaver Moon on Tuesday, Nov. 24, and the Cold Moon on Dec. 23.

What else people are searching

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Key facts

• The Hunter's Moon reached peak illumination just after midnight on Monday, Oct. 26, in Eastern time.
• Western time zones were told to expect peak brightness on the night of Sunday, Oct. 25, closer to 9 p.m. Pacific time.
• The moon can look orange or reddish when it sits low in the sky.
• The name comes from a tradition of hunters using the extra light to track game for winter.
• The next full moon, the Beaver Moon, falls on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

What we don't know yet

Sky conditions and visibility varied by location, so how clearly the moon was seen in each area is not fully known.

Our summary of reporting by BBC, USA TODAY 10BEST, Forbes, The Boston Globe, WBAL-TV, WBKO. Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources; read the full stories at the links below. Updated Oct 26, 7:01 PM EDT.