October ushers in changing foliage, cooler temperatures, and the spooky season made eerier with less daylight.
Costumes are donned and even the night sky wants to help set the mood. Much to the dismay of werewolves, October’s Harvest supermoon will peak tonight (Monday, October 6) at 11:47 p.m. ET, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
Let’s break down the science behind this nighttime spectacle and take a look at future events.
Why is October’s full moon called the Harvest Moon?
The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox gets the moniker Harvest Moon. September’s offering took place on September 7 and the equinox took place on September 22 in the Northern Hemisphere. This means that October gets the crown in 2025, although that is not always the case.
Before modern conveniences, the Harvest Moon helped farmers out by rising around the same time each evening and giving extra illumination. This light allows those working the land to get crops collected before the frigid winter months arrive.
What is a supermoon?
The moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical pattern. This means there are points on its path when the moon is closer to the Earth than at others.
When the satellite is at its closest points to the Earth, it is called perigee. When a full moon happens during this period, it gets upgraded to super. (We can’t confirm yet if it gets a cape and a sidekick.)
According to NASA, supermoons can appear in the sky to be “30% brighter and up to 14% larger” than your average full moon. This happens about three or four times a year.
What about the Draconid meteor shower?
The extra light is both a blessing and a curse. The supermoon is not the only celestial phenomenon taking place on October 6 as the Draconid meteor shower is expected to begin and peak on October 8.
The supermoon’s illumination might just upstage the meteors from the 21P Giacobini-Zinner comet by washing them out.
Supermoons appear full to the naked eye for a couple of days, and the Draconid meteor shower will last until October 10, so there’s a small window of hope.
If that doesn’t pan out, you can always look forward to the Orionid meteor shower peak, which takes place on October 21.
But wait, there’s more…
October’s Harvest Moon is a trendsetter. This bright spot is the first of three back-to-back supermoons that will close out the year. November’s moon just might outdo the Harvest Moon, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.