In pictures: October hunter’s moon illuminates the sky | CNN

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Pongmanat Tasiri/SOPA Images/Shutterstock (14792594d) The full moon, seen on one of its closest orbits to Earth, it floats near the standing Buddha statue at Wat Phra That Doi Kham. The full moon will orbit closest to Earth, known as a 'Supermoon,' making the moon appear larger and brighter than usual. Supermoon to Illuminate the Sky in Chiang Mai, Thailand - 17 Oct 2024
The full moon is seen behind the standing Buddha statue at Wat Phra That Doi Kham, a temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Thursday, October 17.
Pongmanat Tasiri/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

In pictures: October hunter’s moon illuminates the sky

Updated 12:43 PM EDT, Thu October 17, 2024
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This year’s hunter’s moon is also a supermoon, which happens when the moon is closer to the Earth than normal. The celestial phenomenon happens a few times during every lunar cycle because the moon’s orbit is elliptical, meaning there are intervals when Earth’s only permanent natural satellite is closer or farther from the planet.

October's supermoon will be the biggest, brightest supermoon of the year. 

The hunter’s moon is the first full moon after the autumnal equinox, which occurred on September 22 this year. The lunar event marks the changing of the seasons. The name originated from indigenous people, who benefited from the bright appearance of the moon as hunters prepared for long winters. 

A super moon rises behind people walking on a headland near SydneyÕs Bondi Beach on October 17, 2024. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
The moon rises behind people walking near Sydney's Bondi Beach on Thursday.
David Gray/AFP/Getty Images
A hunter's moon sets over Mojave, California on October 17, 2024. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, this week's supermoon will rotate as close as 222,055 miles (357,363 km) from Earth the closest position of the year, accounting for its luminousness. (Photo by David SWANSON / AFP) (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The moon sets over Mojave, California, on Thursday.
David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images
NANTONG, CHINA - OCTOBER 17: (EDITORS NOTE: Multiple exposures were combined in camera to produce this image) The full hunter's moon rises in the night sky on October 17, 2024 in Nantong, Jiangsu Province of China. The hunter's moon is the first full moon after the autumnal equinox, which occurred on September 22 in 2024. Super Hunter's moon on October 17 will be the biggest and brightest full moon of 2024. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
The moon rises in the night sky Thursday in Nantong, China.
VCG/Getty Images
The moon sets behind Edinburgh Castle in Scotland on Thursday.
The moon sets behind Edinburgh Castle in Scotland on Thursday.
Jane Barlow/PA Images/Getty Images
The moon rises behind Citi Field in New York before Game 3 of the National League Championship Series between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.
The moon rises behind Citi Field in New York before Game 3 of the National League Championship Series between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
The moon rises behind the ancient Acropolis in the Bergama district of Izmir, Turkey, on Wednesday.
The moon rises behind the ancient Acropolis in the Bergama district of Izmir, Turkey, on Wednesday.
Lokman Ilhan/Anadolu/Getty Images
The moon is seen over the Andes mountain range in Santiago, Chile, on Wednesday.
The moon is seen over the Andes mountain range in Santiago, Chile, on Wednesday.
Ivan Alvarado/Reuters
The moon over Speyer, Germany, on Wednesday.
The moon over Speyer, Germany, on Wednesday.
Ronald Wittek/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
An airplane crosses the moon Wednesday as people watch it over Lake Michigan in Chicago.
An airplane crosses the moon Wednesday as people watch it over Lake Michigan in Chicago.
Erin Hooley/AP
The moon rises behind the outdoor observation deck at New York's Hudson Yards on Wednesday.
The moon rises behind the outdoor observation deck at New York's Hudson Yards on Wednesday.
Gary Hershorn/Corbis News/Getty Images
The moon is seen over the Baltic Sea in Haffkrug, Germany, on Wednesday.
The moon is seen over the Baltic Sea in Haffkrug, Germany, on Wednesday.
Michael Probst/AP
The moon rises behind the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument as a flock of geese pass by in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
The moon rises behind the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument as a flock of geese pass by in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
J. David Ake/Getty Images
The moon rises behind the dome of a mosque in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday.
The moon rises behind the dome of a mosque in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday.
Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images
The moon rises near Lancaster, California, on Wednesday.
The moon rises near Lancaster, California, on Wednesday.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
The moon is seen behind a lighthouse at the harbor of Travemünde, Germany, on Tuesday, October 15.
The moon is seen behind a lighthouse at the harbor of Travemünde, Germany, on Tuesday, October 15.
Michael Probst/AP
The moon, in its waxing gibbous phase, peaks through cloud cover at the Naples Pier in Naples, Florida, on Tuesday.
The moon, in its waxing gibbous phase, peaks through cloud cover at the Naples Pier in Naples, Florida, on Tuesday.
Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network/Imagn Images
The moon rises in the sky over Boston on Tuesday.
The moon rises in the sky over Boston on Tuesday.
Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images

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