Hunter's Moon
Article for September/October 2024
The Hunter's Moon rises on the 17th October. It is the first full moon to rise after the Harvest Moon (the full moon closest to the autumn equinox) and was long revered by pre-industrial cultures in Europe and the Americas. It is named for the Native American tradition of using its light to hunt and stock food for the coming winter. Typically, the Hunter’s Moon occurs in October, though as a full cycle of moon phases takes only 29.5 days, every four years it will rise in November.
The Christian Holy days of All Hallows’ Eve on the 31st October (from which Halloween gets its name), All Saint’s Day on the 1st November, and All Soul’s Day on the 2nd November fall at the approximate halfway point between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. Winter’s approach is felt in the air, as the harvest season ends and nature dies back, and these days are traditionally a time of remembrance and honouring those who have departed.
With Halloween, of course, also come thoughts of pumpkins, bats, black cats and witches silhouetted against the moonlight, as we prepare for celebrations on the 31st. It’s a classic image, but how often does a full moon rise on Halloween itself?
Our time zones may be different, but when it comes to the phases of the moon, we all see the same one.
The last time there was a full moon on Halloween was in 2020. In fact, it is so rare that we won’t see another one until 2039. This is because, for a full moon to rise on Halloween, it needs to be the second full moon in the month – what’s known as a Blue Moon.
When this rare October Blue Moon happens, it will be visible from all over the world, providing the skies are clear. Our time zones may be different, but when it comes to the phases of the moon, we all see the same one (though in the Southern Hemisphere it will look upside down compared to the view we are used to!). The moon gives off no light of its own – its glow comes from reflecting the light from the sun. Like Earth, the moon has a ‘day’ side and a ‘night’ side, but as we only ever see one side of the moon, we usually see part of both the sunlit side and the dark side at the same time. The moon appears to wax and wane as we see more or less of the sunlit side.
This year, we will see barely more than a sliver of moon on the 31st October – the moon will be a waning crescent, with only 1% of its illuminated surface visible to us. Be sure to take some glow sticks and torches while out trick-or-treating!
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