This month, Florida residents can expect to see their third “supermoon” of the year overhead.
And it’s also set to be the largest.
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A supermoon happens when the Moon is at its closest distance to Earth (a.k.a. its “perigee”) at the same time a full moon is underway.
When this happens, the Moon appears a bit brighter and larger than usual — hence the nickname “supermoon.”
In addition, each month has its own name for the full moon. For example, April’s is called the “Pink Moon,” and February’s is the “Snow Moon.”
For October, the “Hunter Moon” is set to be the largest supermoon of the year.
WHEN CAN I SEE IT?
According to Space.com, the Hunter Moon will come just over 222,000 miles from the Earth on Thursday, Oct. 17, bringing it the closest out of all the supermoons this year.
More specifically, Florida residents can expect the moon to rise starting around 5:33 p.m. on Wednesday evening, and it’s forecast to set around 5:44 a.m. Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
The full schedule for supermoons this year is as follows:
| Supermoon Name | Perigree Time | Distance from Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Sturgeon Moon | Aug. 19 at 2:26 p.m. | 224,917 miles |
| Harvest Moon | Sept. 17 at 10:34 p.m. | 222,131 miles |
| Hunter Moon | Oct. 17 at 7:26 a.m. | 222,055 miles |
| Beaver Moon | Nov. 15 at 4:29 p.m. | 224,853 miles |
WILL I BE ABLE TO SEE IT?
If the skies are clear enough, then Florida residents should be able to spot it in the sky on Wednesday evening.
The NWS’ cloud cover forecast for Wednesday night shows a moderate amount of cloud cover over Central Florida, with much of the cover hanging over South Florida.
If the weather lines up just right, the best spot to view the Hunter Moon is a place far from the city, where light pollution could otherwise get in the way of a rare supermoon viewing.