Be sure to find clear skies and look up tonight, as the evening of October 13 will host the spectacular lunar phenomenon known as the Hunter's Full Moon. Celestial enthusiasts will be treated to the rare brighter and orange-colored moon as it appears "opposite" the sun, NASA has announced.

According to NASA, full Hunter's Moon will reach peak "fullness" on Sunday, October 13 at 5:17 pm eastern daylight time (22:17 pm GMT).

Check out some incredible footage from this orange lunar phenomenon:

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The very first citation of the "Hunter's Moon" was found in the Oxford English Dictionary from way back in 1710, and it refers to the full moon that occurs after the Harvest moon, that would allow hunters to easily see any animals searching for scraps in the now harvested fields.

Science journalist Deborah Byrd writes on EarthSky: "If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, look for the moon to be bright and full-looking for several nights beginning around October 11 and 12. Keep watching on October 13 and 14. Around all of these nights, you’ll see a bright round moon in your sky, rising around the time of sunset, highest in the middle of the night."

According to NASA, several sources suggest that other names for the Hunter's Moon are the Sanguine or Blood Moon, either associated with the blood from with hunting or the turning of the leaves in Fall.

Tania de Sales Marques, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told Country Living:

"The October full moon will happen on the 13th and is known as the Hunter's Moon. The Moon will rise just after sunset [...], so if you go for a walk after dinner and the skies are clear, face south and you should be able to spot a beautiful full moon."

Per the official NASA website, this particular full moon has significance to many cultures and religions around the world:

• For Buddhists, this full Moon is Pavarana, and signals the end of Vassa - a three-month period of fasting for Buddhist monks linked to the monsoons.
• In Laos this full Moon corresponds with the Boun Suang Huea or the Boat Racing Festival.
• In Sri Lanka, this is the Vap Poya, which is followed by the Kathina festival, during which people give gifts to the monks, particularly new robes (which is why this particular lunar month is sometimes referred to as the Month of Robes).
• In Myanmar the celebration of the end of Vassa is the Thadingyut Festival, also know as the Lighting Festival.
• For Hindus, this full Moon is Sharad Purina, a harvest festival marking the end of the rains.

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And don't worry if clouds spoil your view of this beautiful occasion, because NASA says that the orange moon will be visible until Tuesday morning. But in case you do miss the spectacular sight, the Hunter's Moon will return next fall.

Stargazers will be over-the-moon this evening, as the night sky is set to be illuminated by the Hunter's full moon and the conclusion of the Draconid meteor shower.

According to the US Naval Observatory’s Astronomical Applications Department, per CNN, tonight's Hunter's full moon is set to reach its peak illumination at around 5:00PM (ET). That means those in the US will have to wait a little longer for moonrise, which is set to take place shortly after 7:00PM on the east coast.

While this certainly isn't the only full moon to take place this year, it is unlike another you will see.

TimeOut reports that the full Hunter's moon can often appear to have an orange hue and appear larger than usual for around 15 minutes.

A full Hunter's moon. Credit: Painting With Needles / Stockimo / Alamy

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac the name "Hunter's moon" comes from the fact that this particular full moon used to be a natural signal for the time to start hunting in preparation for the cold winter ahead.

After farmers had "cleaned out their fields under the Harvest Moon", it was the ideal time for hunters to track down deer and other animals, who were fattening up in an effort to survive the cold winter months.

The site adds that the earliest used of the name "Hunter's Moon" is from 1710.

Amazingly, tonight's full Hunter's moon also coincides with the Draconid meteor shower.

The Draconid meteor shower: Credit: PA Images / Alamy

This particular meteor shower started on October 6, and although the Draconid meteor shower peaked last night, it is still expected that some lucky stargazers will be able to see some meteors entering the Earth's atmosphere.

Per EarthSky: "This annual meteor shower happens when Earth in its orbit crosses the orbital path of Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. Debris left behind by this comet collides with the Earth's upper atmosphere, to burn up as Draconid meteors. This comet has an orbital period of about 6.6 years."

The meteor shower got its name due to the fact that the fireballs appear to originate from the dragon of the Draco constellation, per Space.com.

However, the Hunter's full moon may obscure and outshine the falling Draconids - but it is certainly worth keeping your eyes open just in case.

At its peak, you can usually expect to see around 10 meteors per hour during the Draconid meteor shower. However, EarthSky reports that there have been some years where people have recorded seeing hundreds of meteors every hour.

So grab a blanket and a mug of hot cocoa, because this is one out-of-this-world show you won't want to miss.

Featured image credit: Chayanan Phumsukwisit / Alamy

The spookiest month of the year is almost upon us, and this October will be a particularly spectacular month for ghouls and witches with a penchant for looking up at the night sky.

A stunning harvest full moon and Mars will be visible in the night sky this week, with the former appearing on Thursday night, nine days after the autumn equinox.

There are two full moons each month, and the second, a hunter's moon, will be appearing on Halloween itself, October 31.

Earth Sky advises that the best time for UK stargazers to witness the harvest moon is at 10:05 pm; meanwhile, Forbes reports that the best time for American stargazers to catch a glimpse of it is at 5:05 p.m EDT.

Forbes has promised that this will be an "incredible sight" for Americans with the bonus of clear skies too.

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While this isn't the only full moon in 2020, it is unlike another this year.

The Old Farmer's Almanac wrote: "There are just little over 12 complete Moon cycles every year, on average - there being about 29.53 days in a synodic month. The Harvest Moon isn't like the other Moons.

"Usually, throughout the year, the Moon rises an average of about 50 minutes later each day. But near the autumnal equinox, the difference is only 30 minutes.

"Additionally, the Full Harvest Moon rises at sunset and then will rise very near sunset for several nights in a row because the difference is at a yearly minimum. It may almost seem as if there are full Moons multiple nights in a row."

[[imagecaption|| Credit: NASA]]

Mars will be visible in the night sky on October 2, and stargazers will be able to see the red planet near the almost-full moon during the last few hours of the sunset, with Forbes reporting that the two will be "exceptionally close" to each other.

However, if you're looking to enjoy the night sky even more in October, you can also catch a glimpse of the Draconid meteor shower, which is set to peak next week.

Timeanddate.com reports that the best days to view the meteor shower are October 8 and 9, and what makes this shower even better is that it will be viewable at a reasonable time rather than particularly late at night.

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EarthSky revealed what this shower is: "This annual meteor shower happens when Earth in its orbit crosses the orbital path of Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. Debris left behind by this comet collides with the Earth's upper atmosphere, to burn up as Draconid meteors. This comet has an orbital period of about 6.6 years.

"It’s about six times more distant at its farthest point from the sun than at its nearest point. At aphelion - its most distant point - it's farther out than the planet Jupiter. At perihelion - its closest point to the sun - it's about the Earth's distance from the sun."

So, if you're a fan of looking up at the night sky in wonder, October really is the best month this year to do it.

If you're at all interested in the stars, or astrology for that matter, then you've got something to look forward to this week: an incredibly rare harvest full moon.

For those who live in the Unites States - the harvest moon, which is the full moon nearest the start of the autumnal equinox - will be lighting up the skies on Friday the 13th of September, per the Farmers' Almanac.

Normally, a full moon occurs at a specific moment. But this harvest moon is rather special; for those living in the Eastern Time Zone, it will take place at exactly 12:33 AM on Saturday, the 14th September, but according to NASA, it will appear perfectly circular to our eyes from Thursday night through to Sunday morning.

Check out this footage of a pink moon rising: 

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Those who aren't immune to superstition will be aware that it's rare for the entirety of the US to see a full moon on Friday the 13th, which is believed by some to be an unlucky day. The last time this phenomenon occurred was on the 13th October, 2000, and you want to ensure you catch this one, as the next won't be for almost three decades, on the 13th October, 2049.

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The upcoming harvest moon has also been called a "micro-moon" as as it will appear around 14 per cent smaller in the sky. This is because the moon is nearing the point in its nearly month-long elliptical orbit at which it is furthest away from the Earth - known as its "apogee".

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While the moon will be at apogee on Friday September 13th at 9:32 AM EDT, it won't appear significantly smaller in size to our eyes.

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"Harvest moon" got its name because the early-evening moonlight allows farmers to work late into the evenings at harvest time.

Halloween is almost upon us: a time for us all to carve our pumpkins, dress up, and watch some scary movies.

Sadly, due to the coronavirus pandemic, it's unlikely that many of us will get the chance to go out trick-or-treating this year.

But if you're disappointed about that, then I have some good news for you that might make this autumnal holiday a little bit more special. That's right, a gorgeous "Blue moon" is due to light up the skies above all our heads this October 31.

Watch this gorgeous footage of a Hunter's Moon rising in the video below:

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According to a report by NASA, October 2020 is a "Blue Moon" month with two full moons occurring in the space of a four-week period, with Harvest Moon having already happened on October 1.

But this "Blue Moon" really is something to be commemorated. That's because the 2020 Halloween full moon is going to be visible from anywhere on the planet, rather than just for parts of it, for the first time since World War II.

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Writing on the subject on his educational site When The Curves Line Up, astronomy educator and former planetarium director Jeffrey Hunt stated:

"The 2020 Halloween Full Moon is visible in North America and South America, and most of the globe, except for regions west of the International Date Line, such as Eastern and Central Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Guam, and eastern Russia.

"The Halloween Full Moon occurs in all time zones eastward from the Prime Meridian through Europe, Africa, Asia, India, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan to western Australia.

"It occurs eastward to GMT+8 hours, with daylight time and GMT+9 hours for countries without daylight time. For regions to the east of these time zones, the Full Moon occurs there during the early morning hours of November 1."

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Hunt adds that the moon will be so large and bright and visible during this time, that you won't need any special equipment or technical apparatus to appreciate its splendor. Just waltz out into your back yard, or simply gaze out of the nearest window, and look up. You won't regret it.