Look For Orange Hunter's Moon Over Northern Virginia, DC

WASHINGTON, DC — A full Hunter's Moon will shine over the Washington, D.C., region Sunday evening, and it may appear Halloween-orange as it rises over the horizon. Usually the Hunter's Moon has an orange glow because it rises from the horizon around sunset.

The moon will officially be at its peak at 5:07 p.m., but you will get the best view in northern Virginia when the sun sets around 6:32 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13.

Skies in the area will be mostly cloudy Sunday night with a 30 percent chance of rain. Viewing will be better on Monday Night, the National Weather Service says, with clear skies.

Civilizations around the world have used the moon phases to keep track of time, and each one has a special name — or several, depending on regional folklore and seasonal characteristics.

September was the harvest moon, while November is the beaver moon or frost moon.

Why is October's full moon called the Hunter's Moon?

"Some folks believe that this full moon was called the full Hunter's Moon because it signaled the time to go hunting in preparation for winter," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. "Since the harvesters had recently reaped the fields under the Harvest Moon, hunters could easily see the fattened deer and other animals that had come out to glean."

These are the times for sunset, moonrise and moonset for the next few days (the best times for viewing the Hunter's Moon), so you can get out and take a look at the Hunter's Moon yourself:

• Sunday: The moon peaks at 5:09 p.m. but it will be most visible at sunset, which is at 6:32 p.m. and at moonrise at 6:53 p.m.
• Monday: Moonset is at 7:46 a.m., sunset 6:31 p.m., moonrise 7:20 p.m.
• Tuesday: Moonset is at 8:45 a.m., sunset 6:29 p.m., moonrise 7:49 p.m.

The November full moon will be Tuesday, Nov. 12, and the December full moon will be Thursday, Dec. 12.

The 2020 Hunter's Moon will be on Halloween.

Tidal Variation During Full Moon

There was some flooding in Alexandria on Saturday, Oct. 12, which weather officials said was in part caused by the coming of the Hunter's Moon. The moon's gravitational pull is strongest during a full moon, causing the tides to be higher.

A coastal flood warning for Washington, D.C., was canceled Sunday morning, but a coastal flood advisory has been issued until 2 a.m. Monday, Oct. 14, according to the National Weather Service. Tides are expected to be about 2 feet above normal at high tide.

The next high tides at Washington Channel are at 8:54 p.m. Sunday and 9:14 a.m. Monday.

Shoreline flooding is expected along portions of the seawall adjacent to Ohio Drive and the Hains Point Loop Road, and near the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial. Minor shoreline inundation up to one foot above ground is possible elsewhere, the weather service said.

Meteor Shower Forecast

While the moon makes it more difficult to see meteors, which are best viewed in a dark sky, the Orionid meteor shower is active right now. It will peak overnight Oct. 22-23.

The Orionids continue through Nov. 7 and are among the fastest of meteor showers because the Earth collides almost head-on with a stream of dust grains left by the comet Halley.

You'll want to get up early (or go to bed late) for this one. At the peak, a bright moon will disrupt viewing until shortly before dawn.

"The Typically, the Orionids produce about 20 meteors an hour, but in exceptional years, like 2006 and 2009, they've rivaled August's famous Perseid meteor shower. Cooke expects the shower to produce about 30 or 40 meteors an hour this year.

The meteors radiate from the constellation Orion, but can be seen from anywhere in the sky.

— By Patch editors Ryan Bonner, Beth Dalbey and Deb Belt