October’s hunter’s moon is set to peak at its fullest around 7:26 a.m. ET Thursday, but the silvery orb will appear round Wednesday evening through Friday morning, according to NASA.

This full moon is considered the third of four consecutive supermoons expected this year, NASA says.

The celestial phenomenon happens a few times during every lunar cycle because the moon’s orbit is elliptical, meaning there are intervals when Earth’s only permanent natural satellite is closer or farther from the planet.

Along the lunar orbital path, the point of closest proximity is known as perigee, which is when the moon is, on average, 226,000 miles (363,300 kilometers) from Earth. When a full moon phase coincides with perigee, a supermoon event occurs.

What makes a supermoon special

Supermoon is a term that describes the moon when it is closer to Earth than normal.

Typically, the moon orbits an average distance of about 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers) from its host planet, but during this month’s supermoon, it will be just 222,095 miles (357,428 kilometers) from Earth, making it the closest full moon of 2024.

During a supermoon event, the orb may appear as much as 8% larger and 16% brighter than an average-size full moon, according to EarthSky.

October’s moon is not actually larger or brighter than any other moon, but it may appear that way because it’s viewed near the horizon shortly after sunset, said Dr. Robin L. Shelton, a professor of physics at the University of Georgia.

Many people associate the hunter’s moon with being orange in color as it rises, but the same could be said of all full moons. The color, Shelton explained, is a result of optical effects involving light passing through Earth’s atmosphere.

Why the full moon is called hunter’s moon

The hunter’s moon is the first full moon after the autumnal equinox, which occurred on September 22 this year. The lunar event marks the changing of the seasons.

The name originated from indigenous people, who benefited from the bright appearance of the moon as hunters prepared for long winters. Hunting also tended to be easier during this time of year because the fields had already been cleared out, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Other names for October’s full moon across various indigenous peoples include the moon of the first frost from the Potawatomi nation, time when the corn is taken in from the Apache tribe or falling leaves moon from the Anishinaabe people.

Traditions around this time include the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon, an annual re-creation of the mid-1700s fall gatherings of French and Native Americans at Fort Ouiatenon, 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) southwest of West Lafayette, Indiana.

The hunter’s moon is expected to be joined by Jupiter, a red giant star called Aldebaran and the star cluster Pleiades, according to EarthSky. Depending on your location, these cosmic wonders may be visible Friday and Saturday night through dawn.

October Full Moon Names from different cultures Tugluvik (Inuit). Kentenha (Mohawk). Long Hair Moon (Hopi) Ten Colds Moon (Kiowa). Falling Leaves Moon (Arapaho). Corn Ripe Moon (Taos Native American). Hunter's Moon, Blood Moon (Neo-Pagan). Leaf Fall Moon (San Juan Native American). Blood Moon, Wine Moon (Mediaeval English). Blood Moon Falling :Full, Leaf Moon :Dark (Janic). Hunter's Moon, Travel Moon, Full Dying Grass Moon (Algonquin Native American/Colonia).

Other Moon names: Spirit Moon, Snow Moon, Shedding Moon, Winterfelleth (Winter Coming), Windermanoth (Vintage Month), Falling Leaf Moon, Moon of the Changing Season, White Frost moon

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A Florida trooper rescued a small dog who was tied to a pole off a major highway in a pool of floodwater as Hurricane Milton begins to overwhelm the state.

An unidentified Florida Highway Patrolman was seen walking through a grassy area on the side of I-75 near Bruce B Downs Boulevard near Tampa to rescue the small white pup.

'It's okay, buddy, it's OK,' the officer could be heard saying as the dog tried to back away. 'It's OK, it's OK!'

As the officer approached the dog and realized it was stuck, it began to growl as the small animal stood in water up to his chest.

Despite multiple attempts to comfort the dog, it just kept growling and wolfing.

'I don't blame you,' the officer said. 'It's OK, buddy, it's OK.'

Source The video does not show the resulting rescue and it is unclear what happened to the dog afterward. It is unknown who the dog belongs to or how it got there. 'Do NOT do this to your pets please…' the organization wrote in an X post.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Florida Highway Patrol for comment.

'They left it to drown OMFG! Pls find who did this!' one X user wrote.

'This is ridiculous. The owner needs to face legal consequences,' another wrote.

'Wow. People can be so heartless. Thank you for saving him,' a third wrote.

Tampa is expected to brave the worst of the Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon until Thursday afternoon with an estimated 10 to 15 inches of rainfall, according to CNN.

The area could see storm surges of eight to 12 feet above ground in flood prone areas, which will peak around 10pm Wednesday.

Do NOT do this to your pets during #HurricaneMilton…. they DON’T deserve this!!@FHPTampa Troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole on near Bruce B Downs Blvd this morning. #Milton #Florida pic.twitter.com/Q6fvDR41Pv

— PROTECT ALL WILDLIFE (@Protect_Wldlife) October 9, 2024

Hurricane #Milton is pictured as a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Yucatan Peninsula from the space station on Oct. 8, 2024. pic.twitter.com/S7Hpe5GFMp

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) October 9, 2024

Update: The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health.

Update: The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health. pic.twitter.com/cut1jv7cBe

— FLHSMV (@FLHSMV) October 9, 2024

All full moons are impressive sights on their own, but this week's Full Harvest Moon will be especially noteworthy. In addition to being a slightly larger-than-average "supermoon," September's full moon will also experience a partial lunar eclipse when it rises on the evening of Sept. 17.

The partial lunar eclipse will be visible from most of North America, all of South America, Europe, all but the easternmost parts of Africa, western portions of Asia and Russia, and parts of Antarctica.

If you are unable to watch the lunar eclipse in person you can watch all the action unfold online here on Space.com. We have rounded up several livestreams that are showing the Super Harvest Moon lunar eclipse on Sept. 17.

"Supermoon" is a non-astronomical term that describes a full moon that occurs when the moon is at or close to perigee, the closest approach to Earth in its slightly elliptical orbit. During these times, the moon can appear a bit larger in the sky, although the difference can be difficult to notice with the naked eye for most observers.

September's Full Harvest Moon is the second of four consecutive supermoons this year, following August's Supermoon Blue Moon.

The name harvest moon is a nod to the season of gathering because the event occurs close to the beginning of fall, or the autumnal equinox, which fell this year on September 23. Typically, this time of year is when many crops peak in the Northern Hemisphere, and the bright moon once helped farmers work into the evening to harvest their bounty ahead of the first frost, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Other monikers for September’s full moon across different indigenous tribes include the corn maker moon from the Abenaki tribe, the moon of the brown leaves from the Lakota people and autumn moon from the Passamaquoddy tribe.

Other harvest-celebrating traditions around this time include the Korean festival of Chuseok and the Japanese Buddhist holiday of Higan, both of which also celebrate the remembrance of ancestors, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.

Many people associate the harvest moon with being orange in color as it begins to rise, but the same could be said of all full moons. The hue is due to the thickness of Earth’s atmosphere near the horizon, which is greater than when the full moon is overhead, according to EarthSky.

Several planets are also currently visible in the night sky, according to The Planetary Society. Gold-tinged Saturn and bright Jupiter rise in the east and appear high in the later hours, while Venus (one of the brightest objects visible in the night sky) shines before dawn. Meanwhile, Mercury dances low along the eastern horizon before dawn.

Learn Native American Names: Soaproot (Pomo). Corn Moon (Pueblo). Harvest moon (Hopi). Singing Moon (Celtic). Leaf fall Moon (Kiowa). Ripe Moon (San Juan). Maize Moon (Natchez). Acorns Moon (Wishram). Rice Moon (Anishnaabe). Hay Cutting Moon (Yuchi). Mulberry Moon (Choctaw). Deer Paw Moon (Omaha). Snow Goose Moon (Cree). Freshness Moon (Mohawk). Harvest Moon (Neo-Pagan). Harvest (Colonial American). Little Chestnut Moon (Creek). Corn Maker Moon (Abernaki). Drying Grass Moon (Arapaho). Yellow Leaf Moon (Assiniboine). Drying Grass Moon (Cheyenne). Autumn Moon (Passamaquoddy). Barley Moon (Mediaeval English). Calves Hair Growth Moon (Dakota). Yellow Leaf Moon(Taos Native American). Nut Moon, Black Butterfly Moon (Cherokee). Drying Grass Moon, Black Calve Moon, fScarlet Plum Moon (Sioux). Harvest Moon, Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Fruit Moon, Dying Grass Moon (Algonquin).

Harvest full moon last night how beautiful 🌕🧘‍♀️🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/PlAe7mubgk

— Leíghá Loughran (@Leighaloughran_) September 17, 2024

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August continues to be an exciting month for sky-gazers. Closely following the peak of the Perseid meteor shower last week, the first of the year’s four consecutive supermoons is set to rise on August 19. The rare cosmic combination of a supermoon and blue moon peaks at 2:26 p.m. ET Monday.

The last time this lunar event occurred was August 2023, and the next super blue moons are projected for January and March of 2037. Approximately one-quarter of all full moons are supermoons, while a mere 3% of full moons are blue moons.

So-called supermoons appear as the biggest and brightest lunar events of the year. The moon’s orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle but an elliptical path. Scientists refer to the moon’s nearest point to Earth — an average distance of about 226,000 miles (363,300 kilometers) — along its 27-day journey as the satellite’s perigee, according to NASA.

There are varied definitions for supermoons, said Noah Petro, lab chief of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry lab. However, a full moon within 90% of perigee is often described as a supermoon, he said.

When the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, it can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than when it’s at its farthest point from the planet, known as apogee, about 251,000 miles (405,500 kilometers) from Earth.

Why is it called the Full Sturgeon Moon?

It’s a name derived from a Native American tribe that used to track the seasons using the Moon. At this time of year the sturgeon fish, North America's largest lake fish, used to be caught in the Great Lakes, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac (it’s now critically endangered). The Full Green Corn Moon, Full Barley Moon, Wheat Cut Moon, Blueberry Moon, and Blackberry Moon are other names that have been given to August’s full moon by various tribes, again to indicate the harvest time for those crops. There are two chances to see the full moon at its most illuminated this month. Here are times for 10 cities around the world.

The Anishnaabe (Chippewa and Ojibwe) call it miini-giizis, the berry moon, while the Assiniboine of the northern plains named it capasapsaba, black cherries moon. The Lakota call it wasutoa wi, moon of the ripening, while the Sioux dubbed it cherries turn black.

Likewise the Tlingit have dubbed their August full moon sha-ha-yi, or berries ripe on mountain. Also in the fruit realm are the Wishram of the Columbia River in Washington and Oregon, who called it blackberry patches moon, and the Shawnee, with po'kamawi kiishthwa, or plum moon.

August Full Moon Names From Native American and Other Different Cultures Joyful Moon (Hopi). First Acorns (Pomo). Ripen moon (Dakota). Dispute Moon (Celtic). Cutter Moon (Abernaki). Dog Days moon (Yuchi). Corn Silk Moon (Ponca). Harvest Moon (Chinese). Berry Moon (Anishnaabe). Women's Moon (Choctaw). Mulberries Moon (Natchez). Middle moon (Potawatomi). Freshness Moon (Mohawk). Yelow flower moon (Osage). Blackberry Moon (Wishram). Acorns Ripen Moon (Maidu). Wheat Cut Moon (San Juan). Lightning Moon (Neo Pagan). Black Cherries Moon (Sioux). Yellow Leaves moon (Kiowa).

Edible Corn Moon (Algonquin). Young Ducks Fly Moon (Cree). Black Cherries Moon (Assiniboine). Dog Day's Moon (Colonial American). Autumn Moon (Taos Native American). Corn Moon, Wort Moon (Medieval English). Geese Shedding Feathers Moon (Arapaho). Feather Shedding Moon (Passamaquoddy). Dispute Moon (Full Janic), Harvest Moon (Dark Janic). Big Harvest moon, Heat Moon, Big Rippening Moon (Creek). Fruit Moon, Drying Moon, Last Fruit Moon, Grain Moon (Cherokee). Red Moon,Sturgeon Moon, Green Corn Moon, Dog Days Moon (Algonquin).

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The seventh full moon of 2024—the “Buck Moon”—will grace the early evening skies this coming week as it rises in the east just as the sun sets in the west. Named the “Buck Moon”—but also known as the “Thunder Moon” and the “Hay Moon”—here’s everything you need to know about it, including exactly when, where and how to see it at its best from where you are:

When Is The ‘Buck Moon?’ The “Buck Moon” will turn full at 10:17 UTC/6:17 a.m. EDT on Sunday, July 21, but from North America, the best time to watch it rise will be at moonrise the previous evening.

The full moon will look its biggest and best as it appears on the eastern horizon during dusk. For about 15-20 minutes, it will appear orange. That’s because you’re looking at it through the densest part of Earth’s atmosphere.

Long-wavelength red and orange light travels more easily through the atmosphere than short-wavelength blue light, which strikes more particles and gets scattered. The same physics (Raleigh scattering) explains why a sunset looks orange.

"The full Moon in July is called the Buck Moon because the antlers of male deer (bucks) are in full-growth mode at this time," as The Old Farmer's Almanac says. "Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year, producing a larger and more impressive set as the years go by."

The name "Buck Moon" arises from a traditional name from the Algonquin tribes, according to a NASA July 2021 moon guide, in what is now the northeastern United States, eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. That said, the moon may not be called the same name by all Algonquin peoples or by all Indigenous cultures; for example, another name attributed to the Algonquin for the July moon is the Thunder Moon. Rao names a few other Indigenous July moon names in his column.

Europeans (traditional) called this the Hay Moon due to the haymaking season, and sometimes the Mead Moon. Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains may call July's moon the Guru Full Moon (Guru Purnima), "celebrated as a time for clearing the mind and honoring the guru or spiritual master," NASA said.

Theravada Buddhists may call July's moon the Asalha Puha (also known as Dharma Day or Esala Poya – a festival celebrating Buddha's first sermon, NASA said). July's moon also marks the beginning of a three-month annual Buddhist retreat called Vassa.

July's full moon has also been called the Full Thunder Moon and the Full Hay Moon, as July is considered to be the season with the most frequent thunderstorms and the time of year when farmers harvest, bale and stow hay for the upcoming winter.

July Moon names from different cultures Raptor Moon (Hopi). Smoky Moon (Maidu). Ripe Moon (San Juan). Crane Moon (Choctaw). Claiming Moon (Celtic). Rose Moon (Neo Pagan). Peaches Moon (Natchez). Ducks Moult Moon (Cree). Ripening Moon (Mohawk). Grass Cutter Moon (Abernaki). Buffalo Bellow Moon (Omaha). Hungry Ghost Moon (Chinese). Ripe Squash Moon (Algonquin). Raspberry Moon (Anishnaabe). Salmon River moon (Wishram). Mead Moon (Medieval English). Middle Summer Moon (Ponca). Middle Summer Moon (Dakota). Red Berries moon (Assiniboine).

Young Corn Moon (Potawatomi). Buffalo Bellows Moon (Arapaho). Wild Red Cherries Moon (Sioux). Corn Popping moon (Winnebago). Ripening Moon (Passamaquoddy). Horse Moon, Ripe Moon (Apache). Summer Moon (Colonial American). Dropping Deer Horns Moon (Kiowa). Ripe Corn Moon, Hay Moon (Cherokee). Sun House Moon (Taos Native American). Claiming moon (Full Janic), Blessing Moon (Dark Janic). Little Harvest Moon, Blackberry Moon, Little Ripening Moon (Creek). Hay Moon, Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Summer Moon (Algonquin).

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