The first full moon of fall is rising tonight (Sunday, Oct. 9).

October’s full moon is sometimes called the Hunter’s Moon. According to NASA the Hunter’s Moon is the first full moon following the Harvest Moon, or the first full moon after the fall equinox, which was on Sept. 22 in 2022.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac the phrase “Hunter’s Moon” came from Native Americans, who used this time to hunt for meat to sustain them through the cold winter months.

According to NASA, the earliest use of the term “Hunter’s Moon” cited in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1710.

According to the Almanac, the Hunter’s moon rises on successive days only about 40 minutes later than the previous day, making the periods of darkness between sunset and moonrise much shorter.

Tonight’s moon rose around 6:30 p.m. CDT and will set around 7:30 a.m. Monday.

But if you can’t see it tonight, no worries. The moon will also appear nearly full both Monday and Tuesday nights as well.

Skies are forecast to be mostly clear for the next few nights across Alabama, so the weather will cooperate for moonwatching.