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“The Hunter’s Moon rises around the same time for several nights, bringing early light to aid harvesting and hunting,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac says. 

October’s super moon is the third of four back-to-back supermoons.

Why are supermoons so big?

Supermoons appear larger in the night sky because of their proximity to Earth. 

“A supermoon occurs when the full moon coincides with the moon being at the point in its orbit within 90 per cent of its closest approach to Earth, called Perigee,” according to . “This makes the moon appear slightly brighter and closer than usual, though the difference is difficult to notice with the naked eye.”

Supermoons only happen three to four times a year and, according to NASA, always appear consecutively. 

NASA says the word “supermoon” isn’t an official astronomical term, but it’s typically used to describe a full moon that comes within at least 90 per cent of perigee.

“Throughout most of Earth’s orbit around the sun, perigee and the full moon do not overlap,” .

Why is this supermoon known as the hunter’s moon?

The hunter’s moon acts as a signal for hunters to begin hunting in preparation for the winter. The hunter’s moon follows the harvest moon, which aligns with the autumnal equinox in September. 

“At this time, game animals were also fattening up to ready themselves for the winter season,” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. “Moreover, since fields had recently been cleared out under the Harvest Moon, hunters could easily spot deer and other animals that had come out to search for remaining scraps. Additionally, foxes and wolves would also come out to prey on these animals.”

The earliest use of the term “hunter’s moon” was from 1710, the Old Farmer’s Almanac says.