Are you ready to howl?
Metro Vancouverites will have the opportunity to moon-bathe under the silvery light of a full "hunter moon" this October.
In 2020, the October moon was known as the full "harvest moon." This year, however, September's full moon held the "harvest" title since it fell closest to the fall equinox; its moon carries this moniker every two years out of three.
Now, the witching moon is upon us - the October full moon. Of course, it isn't actually a spooky moon, but it falls in the month of October when all of the ghouls, goblins, and ghosts come out to frolic for Halloween.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac notes that Native peoples would give distinctive names to each reoccurring full moon to mark the change of seasons. The hunter moon may have derived its name from the time that people would hunt in preparation for winter. It is also referred to as the Sanguine or Blood Moon, "either associated with the blood from with hunting or the turning of the leaves in autumn."
The moon will be at its fullest in Vancouver on Oct. 20 at 7:56 a.m., according to timeanddate.com.
Space enthusiasts will also have opportunities to go stargazing this fall in Metro Vancouver, too.
Not only will people have a chance to view a meteor shower that is known for producing "fireballs," but there will also be a couple of active meteor showers occurring at the same time.
Sky-watchers should opt to travel as far away from city lights as possible in order to avoid light pollution that will obscure the clarity of heavenly bodies. While this works best in more remote places, anywhere that has a higher elevation will also provide more ideal viewing conditions.
