Everything you need to know: Hunter’s Moon 2015

Everything you need to know: Hunter’s Moon 2015

The Northern Hemisphere’s full Hunter’s Moon for 2015 falls the nights of October 26 and 27. Will it be bigger, brighter, more colorful?


Hunter’s Moon rising in 2014. Photo by Abhinav Singhai. Visit him on Flickr.
In skylore, every full moon has many names, and most are tied to the months of the year. But some moons are tied to seasons, such as the Harvest and Hunter’s Moons. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. The Hunter’s Moon is the full moon after the Harvest Moon. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the 2015 autumnal equinox came on September 23. The September 27 full moon – night of a total lunar eclipse – was the Northern Hemisphere’s Harvest Moon. So the full moon on October 26 and 27 is the Northern Hemisphere’s Hunter’s Moon.
If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, your Harvest and Hunter’s moons center on the March equinox, your autumn equinox. Much of what we say in his post – the general information about Harvest and Hunter’s Moons – applies to you, too … next March and April.
The precise time of the October full moon is October 27, 2015 at 12:05 UTC. At North American time zones, that places the time of the full moon in the morning hours on October 27 at 8:05 a.m. EDT, 7:05 a.m. CDT, 6:05 a.m. MDT or 5:05 a.m. PDT. Translate to your time zone here. Thus the October 26 moon – for us in North America – will be just as close to full as the moon you’ll see ascending over the horizon on the evening of October 27.
Click the links below to learn more about the 2015 Hunter’s Moon.
When should I look for the Hunter’s Moon?
What makes a Hunter’s Moon special?
Is a Hunter’s Moon always bigger, or brighter or more colorful?
2015 Hunter’s Moon is a supermoon
How did the Hunter’s Moon get its name?
Minor lunar standstill makes a subtle Hunter’s Moon in 2015
EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Supplies limited.

In autumn, the angle of the ecliptic – or sun and moon’s path – makes a narrow angle with the horizon. Image via classicalastronomy.com.

The narrow angle of the ecliptic means the moon rises noticeably farther north on the horizon, from one night to the next. So there is no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise, and, around the time of full moon, many people see the moon in a twilight sky. Image via classicalastronomy.com.
When should I look for the Hunter’s Moon? If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, look for the moon to be bright and full-looking for several nights beginning around October 26 and 27. Around all of these nights, you’ll see a bright round moon in your sky, rising around the time of sunset, highest in the middle of the night. This procession of moonlit nights is what characterizes a Hunter’s Moon.
Want to know the time of moonrise in your location? My favorite source of that information is this Custom Sunrise Sunset Calendar. Once you get to that page, be sure to click the box for ‘moon phases’ and ‘moonrise and moonset times.’
What makes a Hunter’s Moon special? Hunter’s Moon is just a name. It’s the name for the full moon after the Harvest Moon, which is the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Harvest Moon sometimes falls in September and sometimes falls in October. So the Hunter’s Moon sometimes falls in October and sometimes in November.
But the Hunter’s Moon is also more than just a name. Nature is particularly cooperative around the time of the autumn equinox to make the full moonrises unique around this time.
Here’s what happens. On average, the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day. But when a full moon happens close to the autumnal equinox – either a Harvest or a Hunter’s Moon – the moon (at mid-temperate latitudes) rises only about 30 to 35 minutes later daily for several days before and after the full moon.
Why? The reason is that the ecliptic – or the moon’s orbital path – makes a narrow angle with the evening horizon around the time of the autumn equinox. The narrow angle of the ecliptic results in a shorter-than-usual rising time between successive moonrises around the full Hunter’s Moon.
These early evening moonrises are what make every Hunter’s Moon special. Every full moon rises around sunset. After the full Hunter’s Moon, you’ll see the moon ascending in the east relatively soon after sunset for a few days in a row at northerly latitudes.
Is a Hunter’s Moon always bigger, or brighter or more colorful? Hunter’s Moon is just an ordinary full moon with a special path across our sky. Most Hunter’s Moons aren’t really bigger or brighter. They’re definitely no more colorful than any other full moon. Still, many of us do think the Hunter’s Moon always looks bigger … or brighter … and more orange than usual. Why?
It’s because the Hunter’s Moon has a powerful mystique. Many people look for it shortly after sunset around the time of full moon. After sunset around any full moon, the moon will always be near the horizon … because full moons rise at sunset. It’s the location of the moon near the horizon that causes the Hunter’s Moon – or any full moon – to look big and orange in color.
Orange moon near the horizon. The orange color of a moon near the horizon is a true physical effect. It stems from the fact that – when you look toward 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.
Big moon near the horizon. The bigger-than-usual size of a moon seen near the horizon is something else entirely. It’s a trick that your eyes are playing – an illusion – called the Moon Illusion. You can find lengthy explanations of the Moon Illusion by googling those words yourself.
Brighter moon than usual? Not in most years, but, in 2015, yes. Keep reading.

The moon’s orbit around Earth is very nearly circular, but not a perfect circle. Sometimes the moon is closer to Earth than at other times. That’s the case with the Hunter’s Moon of 2015. Diagram by Brian Koberlein.
Is the 2015 Hunter’s Moon a supermoon? Yes. It is. That means that, in 2015, the moon’s size and brightness in our sky do come into play.
What is a supermoon? In some months, the full moon is closer to us in orbit than others. The 2015 Hunter’s Moon does happen to be particularly close. It’s near perigee, the moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit. Perigee comes on October 26 at 13 UTC, less than 24 hours before the crest of the moon’s full phase.
Translate to your time zone here.
Nowadays, people call these close full moons supermoons.
The exact size and brightness of a supermoon in your sky depends on when you see it. The moon will be bigger and brighter on October 26 than on October 27, for example. Considered across a whole month – given the change in distance between the moon’s farthest and closest points – a full moon near perigee can appear as much as 14% larger in the sky and 30% brighter to our eyes than at minimum size and brightness.
That increased size – 14% – might sound significant, but it’s tough to notice with the eye alone. Some very careful observers say you can discern the extra-large size of a full moon at perigee. But most of us can’t. The effect is too subtle.
On the other hand, a supermoon does often look brighter to the eye – by a noticeable amount – than an ordinary full moon. So notice how brightly the moon is shining, especially on October 26!
How did the Hunter’s Moon get its name? We hear many, many different explanations for the name Hunter’s Moon.
Perhaps the most common one centers on the shorter-than-usual time between moonrises around the full Harvest and Hunter’s Moons. Now matter which hemisphere you’re in, every autumn, there’s no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise for several days in a row, around the time of full moon. In the days before tractor lights, the lamp of the Harvest Moon helped farmers to gather their crops, despite the diminishing daylight hours. As the sun’s light faded in the west, the moon would soon rise in the east to illuminate the fields throughout the night. A month later, after the harvest was done, the full Hunter’s Moon was said to illuminate the prey of hunters, scooting along in the stubble left behind in the fields.
Who named the Harvest and Hunter’s Moon? Those names probably sprang to the lips of farmers and hunters throughout the world, on autumn evenings, at times of the full moon.
Bottom line: The Hunter’s Moon for the Northern Hemisphere in 2015 comes on the nights of October 26 and 27. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, which in 2015 came on September 23. The Hunter’s Moon is the next full moon after the Harvest Moon. Learn the lore of the Hunter’s Moon – and what to look for – here.
When is the next Blue Moon?


Thanks to: http://earthsky.org

Hunter’s Moon is shining on October 26

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Tonight for October 26, 2015

Courtesy U.S. Naval Observatory


Tonight – October 26, 2015 – if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, start watching for the full Hunter’s Moon. Full moon comes on October 27 at 12:05 UTC. At United States time zones, that places the time of the full moon in the morning hours on October 27, at 8:05 a.m. EDT, 7:05 a.m. CDT, 6:05 a.m. MDT or 5:05 a.m. PDT. Thus the October 26 moon – for us in the U.S. – will be just as close to full as the moon you’ll see ascending over the horizon on the evening of October 27.
No matter where you live worldwide, look for a full-looking moon in the east as the sun goes down on October 26 and 27!
The inclination of our moon’s orbital plane will cause the moon to rise further north along the eastern horizon each day for nearly all of the upcoming week. For the Northern Hemisphere, these more northerly moonrises bring about sooner-than-average moonrises, which is the legacy of the Hunter’s Moon.
Everything you need to know: Hunter’s Moon
2015 Hunter’s Moon is a supermoon: Bigger and brighter than usual.
Read about the Hunter’s Moon on October 27
Minor lunar standstill makes a subtle Hunter’s Moon in 2015
EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Supplies limited.

On the night of October 26, 2015, the faint planet Uranus will be shining, invisibly, near the moon.
By the way, Uranus is still near the moon on October 26, 2015. But Uranus, seventh planet outward from the sun, appears – at best – as a faint speck of light to the eyes alone on a dark, moonless night. You need exceptional vision to see this distant world without an optical aid, even under the best conditions. Here’s a good sky chart, if you actually want to see Uranus.
Just be aware Uranus is up there. And think about the fact that Uranus is a real oddity in that it goes around the sun “sideways,” with its rotational axis almost lining up with its orbital plane. In contrast, the rotational axis of our planet Earth is inclined about 23.5^o out of perpendicular to our orbital plane.
The orbital planes of Uranus’ major moons pretty much coincide with the planet’s equatorial plane. That’s in spite of the fact that Uranus’ equatorial plane is nearly perpendicular to the plane of its orbit around the sun.
As a general rule, the major moons in our solar system orbit their parent planets above their respective planets’ equators. There are a few exceptions: Saturn’s moon Iapetus, Neptune’s moon Triton – and, perhaps most significantly to us earthlings: Earth’s moon.
Our moon doesn’t orbit the Earth above our planet’s equator (0^o latitude). Rather the moon’s orbital plane is highly inclined to the Earth’s equatorial plane. The moon’s orbital path took the moon to an extreme of 18.2^o south of the celestial equator on October 18, and then the moon will swing a northerly extreme of 18.2^o north of the celestial equator on October 31.
If the moon’s orbital plane – like that of Uranus’ moons – coincided with our planet’s equatorial plane, our moon would always rise due east and set due west – meaning no Hunter’s Moon in autumn.

Near-infrared image of the ice giant Uranus , its rings and some of its moons. Image credit: European Southern Observatory
Bottom line: To the eye, the moon will appear full as the sun sets on October 26. Watch for it in the east as soon as the sun goes down. Full moon comes on October 27 at 8:05 a.m. EDT (12:05 UTC). The planet Uranus is near the moon on the sky’s dome on the night of October 26, but don’t expect to see it without a careful search and optical aid. If you really want to see Uranus, best to wait until the moon moves away.
Astronomy events, star parties, festivals, workshops for September-December, 2015
Bruce McClure and Deborah Byrd


Thanks to: http://earthsky.org

Minor lunar standstill makes a subtle Hunter’s Moon in 2015

Full Hunter's moon and halo by Randy Miller Andersen

In 2015, diminished tilt of moon’s orbit to Earth’s equator lessens the characteristic effects of the Hunter’s Moon.

Lunar standstill calendar at the National Museum of the American Indian at Washington D.C. Image credit: catface3
The full moon immediately following the full Harvest Moon enjoys the designation of Hunter’s Moon. The full Hunter’s Moon will come on the nights of October 26 and October 27, 2015, in the Northern Hemisphere – and to the Southern Hemisphere on April 22, 2016. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, everything in this article applies to you as well … next April.
Beginning around the night of October 26, 2015, we in the Northern Hemisphere will see a full-looking moon rising around the time of sunset for several evenings in the a row. Every full moon rises around sunset, but the Harvest Moon and Hunter’s Moon are characterized by close-to-sunset rising times for several nights in a row.
This year, though, this characteristic of the Hunter’s Moon – close-to-sunset rising times for several nights in a row – won’t be as pronounced.
The reason is that, like many things in astronomy, the moon’s appearance in our sky follows a cycle. A hallmark of this particular cycle is known as a minor lunar standstill, and it’s diminishing the Hunter’s Moon effect, as it did this year’s Harvest Moon effect. It’ll affect these two autumn moons, in fact, as seen from both earthly hemispheres for several years to come.
Unlike Earth’s moon, many moons in our solar system orbit above the equator of their parent planets. If our moon did likewise – orbited above Earth’s equator – then the moon would always rise due east and set due west every day. However, our moon orbits Earth on nearly the same plane that Earth orbits the sun (aka the plane of the ecliptic). Thus, our moon’s orbit is quite inclined to the plane of the Earth’s equator.

The plane of the moon’s orbit is inclined at 5^o to the ecliptic (plane of the Earth’s orbit). In a year when the moon’s orbit intersects the ecliptic at the March equinox point, going from north to south, we have a minor lunar standstill year. Thereby, the lunar standstill points are 5^o closer to the equator than the solstice points are (23.5^o – 5^o = 18.5^o declination).
That’s why our moon, as it rises and sets each day, spends about two weeks rising and setting south of due east and west, and then two weeks rising and setting north of due east and west. It’s this inclination of the moon’s orbit that’s responsible for the parade of moonlit nights that comes every autumn with the full Harvest and Hunter’s Moons.
Now let’s talk about cycles. The inclination of the moon’s orbital path to the plane of the Earth’s equator changes over a cycle of 18.6 years. For instance, in the year 2006, the moon in its monthly travels swung from about 28.5^o south to 28.5^o north of the Earth’s equator. This extreme inclination is called a major lunar standstill. In years when a major lunar standstill is happening, it accentuates the effect of the Harvest and Hunter’s Moon.
In 2015, the opposite is true. It’s a minor lunar standstill year, when the moon’s monthly travels take the moon only from about 18.5^o south to 18.5^o north of the Earth’s equator.
This minor lunar standstill acts to lessen the effect of the Hunter’s Moon.
Monthly lunar standstills: 2001-2100
In other words … on average, the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day. So your average full moon rises at sunset, and, the next night, the moon rises 50 minutes after sunset.
That’s not the case around the full Harvest and Hunter’s Moons. Around those full moons, there’s no long lag between moonrise one night, and moonrise the following night. It almost seems as if we have a full moon night for several nights in a row. It happens because the moon rises farther north along the eastern horizon each day for days on end, after the Northern Hemisphere’s full Harvest and Hunter’s Moons. The exact time of moonrise depends on your latitude, but, in an average year, at a mid-latitude, you might get a moonrise 30 minutes after sunset, on the night after full moon, instead of 50 minutes.
That’s the effect that won’t be as pronounced this year. There will be a longer-than-usual time between successive moonrises – around the time of the full Harvest and Hunter’s Moons in 2015 – due to the minor lunar standstill.
In or near a major standstill year – at high northern or southern latitudes – it’s even possible for the moon to rise at an earlier time than on the day before. For a prime example, see the chart below for Anchorage, Alaska, noting the moonrise times in October 2005.
Also, note the moonrise times for October 2015 in Anchorage, Alaska. Obviously, this year’s minor lunar standstill lessens the impact of the Hunter’s Moon.
Source: Sunrise Sunset Calendar
Now about the term Hunter’s Moon. It might be of European origin, because northern Europe is much closer to the Arctic than to the tropics. Before the advent of artificial lighting, people planned nocturnal activity around the the moon, knowing the moon provides dusk-till-dawn daylight on the night of the full moon. Peoples of olden times also knew autumn full moons could be relied upon to usher in dusk-till-dawn moonlit for several days in a row at mid-temperate latitudes, or even as long as a week straight at far-northern latitudes.
This bonanza of moonlight in the season of waning daylight remains the legacy of the Harvest and Hunter’s Moons.
And, although that bonanza won’t be as great in 2015, it’ll still be noticeable. Enjoy the upcoming Hunter’s Moon!
By the way, the next major lunar standstill year won’t come until 2025. That’s when the effect of the Harvest and Hunter’s Moons will be at their most pronounced.

Halo around the almost full moon – Sunday, October 25, 2015 – by Jolynn Keutzer Bales in central Indiana.
Bottom line: In 2015, diminished tilt of moon’s orbit to Earth’s equator lessens the Hunter’s Moon effect. We have a Hunter’s Moon, but its characteristics aren’t as pronounced.



Thanks to: http://earthsky.org