The full moon on October 17 will be the third super moon and also the largest super moon of the year because the Moon is closest to the Earth.
On October 17, the Moon will be full at 7:26 am US time (6:26 pm Hanoi time). 11 hours earlier, the Moon will reach perigee, the closest point to Earth at a distance of 357,174 km, according to Space. Supermoons occur due to the Moon’s elliptical orbit. When the Moon is in line with the Earth and the Sun is at its closest point to the Earth (perigee), it is 14% larger and 30% brighter than a normal full moon.
Dr. Fred Espenak, an astrophysicist and eclipse expert who worked at NASA, said the full moon occurs when the Moon is within 90% of its closest distance to the Earth. Espenak has compiled a list of all the supermoons that have occurred in the 21st century. According to him, there are four supermoons in 2024, falling in August, September, October and November. But this week’s supermoon is the result of a full moon. The circle is at the perigee.
On the contrary, on March 14, 2025, the full moon will coincide with aphelion, the farthest point from Earth. On that day, the Moon will lie at a distance of 50,000 km and appear 14% smaller than usual, nicknamed “mini-Moon”.
Native Americans call October’s full moon the Hunter’s Moon. When the leaves fall and the deer get fat, it’s hunting time. Because of the harvested fields, hunters can easily spot wild animals out foraging and catch them.
The next full moon will fall on November 15. Also known as the Beaver Moon, this will be the last supermoon of 2024.