Hunter’s Moon falls on October 25-26, with Saturn nearby

The next spectacular sky event is the Hunter's Moon, which falls on October 25-26, with Saturn nearby. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, the bright and round Hunter's Moon will rise in the east around sunset on October 25. The nearly round moon can be seen on the nights before and after that as well. The bright steady light nearby will be Saturn.

The crest of the full moon occurs at 4:12 UTC on October 26, which is 11:12 p.m. CDT on October 25 in central North America. The moon is roundest on the day it is full, and it will rise close to sunset on that day. However, the nights before and after the full moon typically feature a round-looking moon as well. The Hunter's Moon is characterized by a shorter-than-usual time between successive moonrises for several evenings in a row.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the moon will rise later on the nights following the full moon, as its sky will be dark. On the evening of October 25, the full Hunter's Moon will light up the eastern sky, and Saturn will be visible nearby. The Hunter's Moon is just an ordinary full moon with a special path across the evening sky, but many people perceive it as being bigger, brighter, and more orange than usual.

This is due to the moon's proximity to the horizon, which causes the orange color and a bigger-than-usual size, an effect known as the Moon Illusion.