What's A Supermoon? Oct. 16, 2016, Hunter's Moon Qualifies

The moon has given and will continue to give competition to October’s meteor showers, but when it rises on Sunday, Oct. 16, it will appear large and beautiful — what astrologers call a supermoon. The October full moon, which is also a hunter’s moon, is the first of three supermoons that will close out the year.

Supermoon is the unofficial term, coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle, to describe the point when the full moon cycle coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth during its oval-shaped orbit. The moon appears slightly larger than normal in the sky and can make for a spectacular view.

The technical term is full moon perigee. Perigee is when the moon is closest to the Earth, as opposed to apogee, which is when it’s the farthest.

Are supermoons just hype?

Yes and no. Supermoons aren’t really larger, but they only appear so because the moon is so close to the Earth. But, Earthsky.org says, “they can cause real physical effects, such as larger-than-usual tides.”

Also, the orange color of the 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,” Earthsky.org says. 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 moon near the horizon takes on a yellow or orange or reddish hue.”

October’s supermoon is a sort of warm-up event for the Nov. 14 supermoon, which will be the closest to the Earth of any supermoon so far in the 21st century. Earthysky.org says a moon won’t be as close to Earth again until Nov. 25, 2034, and that in the Americas, the best night to view it may be Nov. 13 instead of Nov. 14.

Another supermoon follows on Dec. 14 — and, astrophysicist Fred Espenak, a NASA scientist emeritus says, in January 2017.

• See Also: 2016 Meteor Shower Guide

But back to what you’ll see on Sunday, Oct. 16. What should you do to take advantage of the lunar fun? First check your local forecast, either on your Patch homepage or here. The moon rises around 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, give or take a few minutes depending on your location. Find a dark sky if you can.

Sunday’s supermoon is also a hunter’s moon. The name originates in the lore of the First Nations of North America and refers to a time when hunters tracked fatted deer under the bright autumn moonlight, readying a stockpile of meat for the winter. It is also sometimes called a blood moon.

Look Up! More to See in the Sky

Oct. 20-21, Orionids: The glare of a waning gibbous moon in the early morning hours just before sunrise could intrude with the Orionids, which typically produce 10 to 20 meteors per hour. Most meteors in this shower tend to fall after midnight, and they’re typically at their best in the wee hours just before dawn. The Orionids also sometimes present bright fireballs.

Nov. 4-5, South Taurids: Though the best viewing conditions are likely to be after midnight on Nov. 5, the Taurids are very long-lasting, from Sept. 25-Nov. 25. They only offer about seven meteors an hour, but the Taurids are known for having a high percentage of fireballs. This is the first of two Taurid meteor showers, and it always adds a few more meteors to the South Taurids’ peak night.

Nov. 11-12, North Taurids: This shower is long-lasting, too, from Oct. 12-Dec. 2, but modest as well with only about seven meteors an hour, with most of the activity taking place around midnight. The meteors are slow moving but very bright. The waxing gibbous moon could outshine this year’s shower.

Nov. 16-17, Leonids: Some of the greatest meteor storms in history have been associated with his event, which can produce rates of thousands of meteors per minute during a span of 15 minutes, as occurred on Nov. 17, 1966. “ Some who witnessed the 1966 Leonid meteor storm said they felt as if they needed to grip the ground, so strong was the impression of Earth plowing along through space, fording the meteoroid stream,” earthsky.org says. In most years, though, the constellation of Leo the Lion whimpers rather than roars, producing about 10 to 15 meteors an hour, especially just before dawn this year. Unfortunately, the bright light of a waning gibbous moon will offer some competition.

Dec.13-14, Geminids: The last major meteor shower of the year is usually one of the finest meteor showers visible in either the Northern or the Southern Hemisphere, but a full moon will be out all night, subduing the typically prolific Geminids, which can produce up to 120 meteors per hour. The shower peaks around 2 a.m.

Dec. 21-22, Ursids: This minor meteor shower often goes unnoticed. Produced by the dust grains left behind by the comet Tuttle, it produces only about five to 10 meteors an hour. The shower runs from Dec. 17-25, but it should peak around the 21st. The moon will be 23 days old at the time of peak activity, so it shouldn’t present too much of a problem.

Photo by Derek Keats via Flickr Commons