Residents of Saudi Arabia have a unique opportunity to see the third supermoon in 2024, which will also be a Hunter’s Moon.
According to NASA, the Hunter’s Moon will reach its peak on Thursday, October 17, 2024, and will stay through Friday morning.
In the light of this, the head of Jeddah Astronomical Society (JAS), Majed Abu Zahra, told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that Saudi Arabia will spot the rare phenomenon. He said that the supermoon would reach its peak at 2:26 pm (Makkah time).
He explained that the supermoon will be visible in the northeastern sky at sunset, initially appearing orange, due to Earth’s atmosphere scattering the moon’s reflected white light, dispersing the blue wavelengths and leaving the red ones visible.
As the moon ascends higher, its color will change gradually to the usual silvery white, Abu Zahra added.
The supermoon event happens when the moon is in its full phase and at its closest point to Earth, known as perigee, approximately 363,300 kilometers from Earth. A supermoon appears 30% brighter and 14% bigger than a typical full moon.
Meanwhile, the Hunter’s Moon is the first full moon after the autumnal equinox, which took place on September 22. It marks the changing of the seasons, according to CNN.
The lunar event got its name from indigenous people, as hunters used to prepare for winter during this period of the year. The brightness of the moon, in addition to the cleared out fields, helped hunters to easily spot the animals.
