Please join us at Hillmoor on October 17 from 6:00 to 7:30 to celebrate the biggest supermoon of the season. Remember to bring a flashlight and blanket or chair, and your own snacks and/or beverages. Let’s introduce our children to the wonders of moonlight and nature.
We’ll be walking up to the old parking lot around 6:00 (weather and sky permitting).
Hillmoor is a great place to watch the moon rise. With its hills and dark surroundings, the sky’s objects are more visible than in most neighborhoods.
A supermoon, a term coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979, occurs when a full moon is closer to Earth than its usual orbit. This makes the moon appear brighter and larger than normal. This year we have 4 supermoons; one was in August, and the next three will be in September, October, and November.
The October supermoon will be the largest, since it is closest to the earth. It will occur on Thursday , October 17, and is known as the “hunter’s moon “, as it served as a signal for hunters to prepare for winter. As deer, turkeys , and other animals were fattening up for the winter, hunters could easily spot them as they came out to feed on scraps in the fields and clearings under the full moon , and with the leaves falling. Also, cooler nights and days made it easier to begin storing and preserving meat for the winter. The full or almost full moon rises around sunset for several evenings in a row, providing more light for other modern activities like camping.