A supermoon rises behind people near Sydney, Australia, on Thursday. (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
The hunter’s moon — the largest supermoon of 2024 — is illuminating the night sky this week, casting a stunning scene for celestial gazers.
This supermoon, the third of four supermoons expected to be seen this year, peaked at 7:26 a.m. ET on Thursday, but will appear full through Friday morning.
“It rises around the same time for several nights, providing early light for fall harvests and hunting activities,” the news outlet reports. “The Farmer's Almanac explains that the term ‘hunter's moon’ refers to the period after leaves have fallen, making prey easier to spot for hunters with the added moonlight.”
The next supermoon — which happens when a full moon appears at the same time that the moon reaches its closest point to earth — is expected to peak on Nov. 15.
The full hunter's moon rises in the night sky on Thursday in Foshan, Guangdong Province of China. (Wang Qingwu/VCG via Getty Images)
A full moon rises behind the Acropolis Ancient City in the Bergama district of Izmir, Turkey, on Wednesday. (Lokman Ilhan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The moon rises behind a tree seen from Naypyitaw, Myanmar, on Thursday. (Aung Shine Oo/AP)
The moon rises next to a neon Big Tex at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas on Wednesday. (LM Otero/AP)
People view the rising supermoon during Sculpture by the Sea on Thursday in Sydney. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)
The hunter's moon rises behind the EdgeNYC outdoor observation deck at Hudson Yards in New York City on Wednesday as seen from Hoboken, N.J. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
The full hunter's moon rises in the night sky on Thursday in Nantong, Jiangsu Province of China. (VCG via Getty Images)
The moon rises over the Andes mountain range, in Santiago, Chile, on Wednesday. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)
The moon rises beyond an antique sign atop a downtown apartment building in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday. (Charlie Riedel/AP)
The moon rises over a neon sign at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas on Wednesday. (LM Otero/AP)
A passenger plane flies in front of the hunter's moon as it rises above New York City on Wednesday, as seen from Hoboken, N.J. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
