Newtown Bee Photographer Bill Glass is frequently out and about holding a mirror up to the community with his camera, his talented eye always seeking out unique perspectives to showcase the beauty that is our home town. Last night he was again in the right place at the right time, greeted by a full moon as he headed toward Newtown Community Center for a special event.

According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, the October 16 moon was just a prelude to what we can expect to see tonight when the Hunter's Moon rises. The Hunter's Moon is the first full Moon after last month's Harvest Moon.

It will be the biggest and bridget Supermoon this year, appearing low and large on the horizon. October’s full Hunter Moon orbits closer to Earth than any of the other full Moons this year, making it one of the four supermoons of 2024. At its nearest point, the Hunter’s Moon will be 222,055 miles from Earth, the closest Supermoon of the year, also according to the Almanac.

The Hunter’s Moon reached peak illumination at 7:26 this morning. No worries, however. The show isn't over. "It will be below the horizon, so wait until sunset to watch it rise and take its place in the sky," the Almanac says.

The National Weather Service is calling for a chilly but clear overnight, so local readers should be able to enjoy the astronomical treat. Low temperatures will be around 37 degrees, with north wind around 7 pm.

Also according to the Almanac: "This particular full Moon is commonly referred to as the full Hunter’s Moon. It is so-named because it was considered a signal for hunters to begin hunting in preparation for the upcoming cold winter. At this time, game animals were also fattening up to ready themselves for the winter season. Moreover, since fields had recently been cleared out under the Harvest Moon, hunters could easily spot deer and other animals that had come out to search for remaining scraps. Additionally, foxes and wolves would also come out to prey on these animals.

"The earliest use of the term “Hunter’s Moon,” cited in the Oxford English Dictionary, is from 1710. Some sources suggest that other names for the Hunter’s Moon are the Sanguine or Blood Moon, either associated with the blood from hunting or the color of the changing autumn leaves.