The first of four supermoons this year rises next week and stargazers could catch a moon that can be 30% brighter than average.
The full moon on its own makes people stop and stare, but the one that'll be in the sky until Friday is even more unique than usual.
And if you thought it looked gorgeous Tuesday night, its peak hasn't even happened yet, NASA says.
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Let's get into it.
Why is this moon special?
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This full moon will be the "third of four consecutive supermoons (and the brightest by a tiny margin)," according to NASA.
It'll also be the closest supermoon of the calendar year.
And as if it needed to set itself apart, it's also called the Hunter's Moon.
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When can I see this supermoon?
The moon will appear full for about three days, from Tuesday evening through Friday morning.
But the true peak is not until Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7:26 a.m. EDT, NASA says.
What is a supermoon?
A supermoon happens when the moon is within 90% of it’s closest approach to Earth. That distance is roughly 221,938 miles, according to NASA.
This is what makes them the biggest and brightest full moons--30% brighter and 14% larger to be precise.
Why is it also called a Hunter's Moon?
The Hunter's Moon refers to the first full moon after the Harvest Moon, NASA says. The Harvest Moon, referring to the first full moon following the autumnal equinox, rose last month.
According to NASA: "The earliest written use of the term 'Hunter's Moon' identified in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1710. According to the Farmer's Almanac, with the leaves falling and the deer fattened, it is time to hunt. Since the harvesters have reaped the fields, hunters can easily see the animals that have come out to glean (and the foxes that have come out to prey upon them)."
