The Hunter's Moon Is Full, and It Closes October's Sky Show

Keypoints:

• The Hunter's Moon reaches its full phase on 26 October in Universal Time
• For much of North America it looked full on the evening of Sunday, 25 October
• It is the last major celestial event in NASA's October sky guide
• Earlier highlights included Jupiter vanishing behind the Moon on 6 October and the Draconid and Orionid meteor showers
• The Moon wanes toward Halloween

October's final major sky event arrives with the Hunter's Moon. It reaches its full phase on 26 October in Universal Time. For observers in much of North America, it appeared full on the evening of Sunday, 25 October. NASA highlights it as the last of four main sky events this month, just before Halloween.

The name comes from the season. As crops were harvested, fields became more open and daylight shortened. Hunters could use bright moonlight to follow animals after sunset. The Moon will stay prominent in the days after its full phase. It then moves into a waning gibbous phase, with less of its face lit each night.

The month had other events. On 6 October, Jupiter slipped behind the Moon's thin crescent for about an hour in parts of North America. Astronomers call this a lunar occultation. On 8 and 9 October, the Draconid meteor shower peaked. It is modest, with only a handful of meteors an hour. Conditions were good because the Moon was near its new phase.

The Orionid meteor shower peaked on 21 October. These meteors are tiny fragments left behind by Halley's Comet. Earth passes through the comet's debris trail each year. NASA estimated three to six meteors an hour for suburban viewers. A waxing gibbous Moon made faint meteors harder to see until it set, around 3 a.m. local time.

The Moon has also been prominent for other reasons. A bright Moon washes out fainter objects, which is why meteor watchers prefer dark skies. For casual skywatchers, a full Moon is the easiest target. It needs no equipment.