This Thursday, a hunter’s moon will grace North Texas skies. It will be the third supermoon of 2024 — and likely the brightest of the year.
Peak viewing time will be at moonrise at 6:26 a.m. on Oct. 17, according to NASA. The supermoon can appear up to 30% brighter and 14% bigger than the faintest moon of the year.
Clear skies are expected Thursday in the D-FW area, so viewing will likely be unobstructed.
What is a supermoon?
“Supermoon” isn’t a scientific term. It was coined in 1979 by the astrologer Richard Nolle to describe a new or full moon that has traveled within 90% of its perigee, or its closest point to Earth. The moon orbits our planet in an elliptical path, which is why it is at times closer or farther away.
Supermoons happen about three to four times a year and always appear consecutively, according to NASA. The first supermoon of 2024 was the super blue moon on Aug. 19 and was followed by the harvest moon on Sept. 17, which coincided with a partial lunar eclipse. The fourth and final supermoon of the year will be the full beaver moon on Nov. 15, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Why is it called a hunter’s moon?
The hunter’s moon got its name because it was traditionally considered a signal to begin hunting for the winter ahead, the almanac says. It’s the first full moon after the fall equinox, which occurred on Sept. 22 this year.
Be careful when driving
While the large and luminous supermoon will be a sight to behold, a recent study in the journal Transportation Research Part D: Transport and the Environment found a nearly 46% increase in wildlife-vehicle collisions on full moon nights in Texas. Some areas, including the High Plains, South Texas, Central Texas and the Upper East regions, saw particularly high increases in collisions, from nearly 58% to 125%.
The study’s authors, based out of Texas A&M University, say this problem is more prevalent in rural areas than urban ones, likely due to having more wildlife and less light pollution.
Miriam Fauzia is a science reporting fellow at The Dallas Morning News. Her fellowship is supported by the University of Texas at Dallas. The News makes all editorial decisions.