The director of Vanderbilt University’s Dyer Observatory said the best time to see or photograph the supermoon will be when it’s low in the sky.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Wednesday night is the first night of the Hunter’s Moon. Just like the last two full moons, it is a supermoon.
The Hunter’s Moon is called a supermoon because it will appear bigger and brighter than a typical full moon. This supermoon followed last month’s Harvest Moon, which allowed extra light for farming, and fields are clear for hunters to more easily spot animals. The name was orginally considered a signal for hunters to begin preparing for winter.
Dr. William Teets is an astronomer and the director of Vanderbilt University’s Dyer Observatory in Brentwood, and he said supermoons occur when the moon is closer to Earth.
Teets added that the moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle, so there are times it is closer to Earth. He explained that the moon’s closest point is called perigee, and this year’s Hunter’s Moon is the full moon that is occurring closest to perigee. Teets added that perigee makes Wednesday night’s full moon the largest of 2024.
“It is within a few thousand kilometers of its closest point it can get to Earth,” Teets told News 2. “This would be like the super super moon if you will, but compare it to the last super moon we had you’re probably not going to notice any difference.”
The Hunter’s Moon is the third of four supermoons in 2024, with the final supermoon of the year happening on Nov. 15.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the Hunter’s Moon will reach peak illumination at approximately 7:26 a.m. on Thursday. However, the moon will still offer beautiful views on Wednesday night.
Teets said the best time to see or photograph the supermoon will be when it’s low in the sky. He added that it will appear larger and have a yellow or orange color.
Moonrise is at 5:42 p.m. on Wednesday. Moonset is 7:03 a.m. on Thursday, and the full Hunter’s Moon will rise again at 6:13 p.m. on Thursday. Teets said the supermoon will rise in the eastern sky while the comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas is still visible in the western sky.
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