Wednesday, 10/20/21
7:15 PM
We will be resuming our walks this month and hope you can join our group of lunar enthusiasts.
Last year, our October walk was under a Harvest Moon. This year it’s under the Hunter’s Moon. You can thank the Autumn Equinox which occurred on September 22, if you are confused. These two named moons are the only ones that are defined in relation to the Equinox. The Full Harvest Moon is always the one that falls closest to the date of the Equinox, which this year was on September 20th. The Hunter’s Moon is always the one after the Harvest Moon. Whatever the name, because of the cooler, less humid nights, they tend to be more luminous than the summer full moons appear.
The term Hunter’s Moon refers to the need to prepare for the long winter months by stocking up on meat. Once the fields have been harvested, the game was more visible and the brilliance of the full moon facilitated the hunt. Another name is The Blood Moon, again referencing the result of a successful hunt.
For those who prefer a less violent name, you can choose from The Migrating Moon, The Freezing Moon, or the very descriptive Falling Leaves Moon.
With luck and clear skies, we should be able to catch sight of a few planets, all fairly low on the horizon in the early evening. Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be keeping us company on the 20th. While I can’t promise you a meteor on the night we walk, if you wake before dawn on the morning of the 21st, you could catch the Orionids Meteor Shower at its peak!
I hope to see you on Wednesday, October 20th at 7:15 for a guided walk around Malvern. We meet in the parking lot of the First Baptist Church on Channing Avenue.