What is the Hunter's Moon and when does it appear?
Arabia Weather - A distinctive astronomical phenomenon that the world will witness during the next two days, which is the “Hunter’s Moon.” This phenomenon occurs during the full moon in the month of October.
What is the hunter's moon?
The term Hunter's Moon is usually used to refer to the full moon that appears during the month of October. It is preceded by the "harvest moon", which is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox, which falls on the twenty-second or twenty-third of September.
The Hunter's Moon usually appears during the month of October, except once every four years, when it does not appear until the month of November. Its name goes back to the early peoples of North America, whose hunters used this period of the fall to track down their prey, the deer that had fed. Well during the summer, they hunt them and store them as food in preparation for the coming winter
The date of the appearance of the Hunter's Moon
The moon usually appears 50 minutes later each day than the day before, but things are different for the Hunter Moon (as they are for the Harvest Moon). These two moons usually rise 30 minutes apart from the night before, meaning that sunset and moonrise are not far apart.
The difference in the timing of sunset and moonrise is due to the position of the moon in its orbit around the Earth. The moon's tilt at a lower angle to the horizon during this time of year causes it to move closer to the night sky, making the time between sunset and moonrise shorter. Although the Hunter's Moon is not larger or brighter than other full moons, the only difference is the shorter period of time between sunset and moonrise.
History of the Hunter's Moon
Because of the approaching winter, which posed a threat of famine in ancient times before industrialization, the Fishermen's Moon had a special status. Historically, it has been considered an important day celebrated by the people of Northern Europe and many indigenous peoples and tribes in America.
Traditionally, Native American hunters used the full moon in October to track deer movement and spot foxes at night in preparation for the approaching winter. Since the fields usually gather crops in September and early October, hunters could easily see foxes and other animals that came out to eat grains that had fallen during harvest.
The Hunter's Moon also had similar significance in Europe, where its appearance was considered a vital time to practice hunting animals during the post-harvest period and before winter, when conditions were favorable for finding prey. However, the term "Hunter's Moon" was not used by Europeans until after contact with the indigenous people of America during their colonization of the continent.
The first recorded references to the Hunter's Moon began in the eighteenth century. The Oxford English Dictionary mentions the Hunter's Moon in its 1710 edition of "British Apollo", where it states that the name was associated with "country people". Today, this term is regularly referenced in American sources, where it is often associated with the indigenous people of America.
In India, the harvest festival Sharad Purnima, which is held at the end of the monsoon season, is celebrated on the full moon day of the lunar month of Ashvin (September-October). This time sees a traditional moon celebration, known as kaumudi, which means moonlight.
The harvester's moon is not the same as the hunter's moon
The Harvester's Moon is sometimes confused with the Hunter's Moon due to the time switch that occurs every four years or so. The Harvest Moon can appear in October instead of September, while the Hunter Moon can appear in November instead of October, as discussed in the previous explanation. Usually, each month's full moon is given a name, and these names vary depending on the source.
Read also
Full moon calendar for the year 2024, in which we will see 12 full moons, including 4 supermoons
The “Harvester Moon” is the last giant moon in 2023 to light up the sky on Friday, September 29.
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