by Sid Baglini
OCTOBER 9, 2022, 7:30 P.M.
We invite you to join us for our first autumn Moon Walk of the year. While we usually try to time our walk so that we can watch the moon as it rises over the horizon dazzling us with it’s orange/reddish hue, we will have to forego that this month. The Moon will rise at 4:55 P.M. which is too early for our evening Moon Walk. If you want to catch sight of it clearing the horizon, pop outside for a look at about 5:30. When we walk two hours later, the Moon will be well above the horizon.
This month is the Hunter’s Moon reflecting the fact that both humans and animals are preparing for the winter months by stocking up on food. The Hunter’s Moon is always the one that occurs after the Harvest Moon which is closest to the autumnal equinox. If the October full Moon occurs very early in the month, putting it closer to the equinox than the one in September, then the Harvest Moon will be in November. Other names are Blood Moon referring either to the blood of the hunter’s prey or the red autumn leaves or the Dying Grass Moon. The Travel Moon is descriptive of the migration of indiginous people from their summer campgrounds in areas like the beaches or river deltas inland to the more protected woodlands with plenty of fuel for the winter fires.
There are two meteor showers to watch for this month, both occurring during our scheduled Moon Walk. The Draconids will be visible on the 6-10th of October and peaks on the 8th and the night of our walk. Overlapping it is the Orionids. Comprised of debris from Halley’s Comet, it starts on October 2nd and runs until November 7th. It doesn’t peak until the 21st-22nd of the month.
You never know what you will experience on a Moon Walk. Celestial facts, folklore, a bit of music, flora, fauna, and even occasionally, a tasty treat related to the traditional names for the Full Moon are all possibilities. The sights and sounds of the night combined with the camaraderie of the group make for a memorable evening so please join us for our next adventure. We meet in the parking lot of the Baptist Church at the corner of Channing Avenue and First Avenue.