October’s full moon, called the Hunter’s Moon, will rise tonight (Oct. 13), reaching its peak fullness at 5:08 p.m. ET.
The Hunter’s Moon, which is the full moon following the Harvest Moon and the closest full moon to the fall equinox, is reportedly the best time for hunting deer and other animals, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. In northern locations, leaves have fallen, deer have fattened and harvesters have cleared the fields, making it easier to see the animals under the light of the big bulb in the sky, according to NASA.
But people of different cultures and regions gave their own names to full moons. The Algonquin tribes, for example, called October’s full moon the Travel Moon, the Dying Grass Moon and the Sanguine or Blood Moon; the latter three are thought to be named after the changing colors of the leaves and dying plants, according to NASA.
