Hunter’s Moon: When is the next full moon and what will be the moon tonight?

The full moon in the UK peaked on Thursday afternoon (October 17) when it was below the horizon, but it will still appear brilliant and nearly full for the next several evenings.

Here’s important details you need to know about this lunar event.

Full moons are named after possible natural events that occur throughout that month.

The full moon in October is referred to as the Hunter‘s Moon because it coincides with the beginning of the fall foliage and the thinning of summertime vegetation in preparation for the winter months.

Thus, this time of year would have seen an increase in hunting in ancient civilisations.

“The orange colour of a moon near the horizon is a true physical effect. It stems from the fact that, when you look towards the horizon, you are looking through a greater thickness of Earth’s atmosphere than when you gaze up and overhead.

“The atmosphere scatters blue light – that’s why the sky looks blue. The greater thickness of atmosphere in the direction of a horizon scatters blue light most effectively, but it lets red light pass through to your eyes. So a full moon near the horizon, any full moon near the horizon, takes on a yellow or orange or reddish hue.”

The moon tonight (October 18) will not look like the Hunter’s Supermoon, but you can still expect a nearly full and bright moon.

The Beaver Moon, which falls on November 15, is the next full moon and corresponds with the time when beavers begin to hibernate in their lodges in preparation for winter.

In order to catch a good sight of the next full moon, we suggest using binoculars, from which you’ll see the entire moon at once.

You’ll get a better sight if you have a telescope, where you will be able to spot mountains and valleys.