A FULL Moon lights up the night sky – and there’s a great one coming up.
We’ve put together a quick guide on everything you need to know about full Moons and when they are – including when the next Hunter’s Moon is.
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What is a full Moon?
The Moon is little more than a rock orbiting Earth.
Importantly, it doesn’t produce any visible light of its own.
So when we see the Moon, it’s only thanks to light from other objects (like the Earth or Sun) hitting it, and then bouncing off down to our eyes.
The Moon, the Earth and the Sun are constantly changing positions, which means we see different parts of the Moon at any given time.
When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, its rear side is lit up – leaving it in darkness for humanity.
That’s called a new Moon.
And when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun, it’s fully lit – giving us a full Moon.
There are various phases in between these two, with a total cycle of about 29.5 days.
The last full Moon was on August 22, 2021 and its peak was at 8.02am.
A full Moon at this time of year is known as a Sturgeon Moon, which is also known a the Fruit Moon, Grain Moon and the Green Corn Moon.
The name comes the fish Native Americans would catch at this time of year.
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When is the next full Moon?
The next full Moon is on October 20, 2021.
It is known as the Hunter’s Moon and will appear over 99% lit on the evenings of October 19 and 20 as it rises in the east.
It will reached its fullest point on October 20 at 14:56 UTC.
It should also look very large two days after this.
It’s traditionally called the Hunter’s Moon because it appears around the time that Native American tribes would gather meat for the winter ahead.
What time is the Full Moon?
It will reached its fullest point on October 20 at 14:56 UTC (14:56 BST).
However, you’re better off looking on the evening of October 19 or 20.
Weather permitting you should be able to see it in all its bright glory after nightfall but try to avoid light polluted areas.
Full Moon dates 2021 – here’s the full list
There are 12 full Moons to spot in 2021, each with its own unique name.
Here’s the full list:
- January 28 – Wolf Moon
- February 27 – Snow Moon
- March 28 – Worm Moon
- April 27 – Pink Moon
- May 26 – Flower Moon
- June 24 – Strawberry Moon
- July 24 – Buck Moon
- August 22 – Sturgeon Moon
- September 21 – Corn Moon / Harvest Moon
- October 20 – Hunter’s Moon
- November 19 – Beaver Moon
- December 19 – Cold Moon
Of these, there are two Supermoons, where the full Moon appears bigger and brighter than usual.
The two official Supermoons were on April 27 and May 26.
However, the full Moons in March and June were also classed as Supermoons by some – due to their immense apparent size in the sky.
What is a Super Moon and why does it appear?
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
