Rare triple supermoon in store for Toronto

The full Hunter's Moon will rise above Toronto on Sunday, October 16 at 7:16 p.m. marking the first in a rare trio of supermoons that will continue through December. This month's full moon will be the second largest of the year, appearing noticeably larger than the smallest if you've been tracking its steady growth since April when it was at its smallest (the farthest away from Earth).

The Hunter's Moon isn't significant in and of itself - it's merely the name given to the moon each October for centuries - but the fact that it's a supermoon and will be rising shortly after sunset means that there's the possibility that it will look particularly stunning as it rises in the east-northeast.

Given the location of the moonrise, a good spot to plan a moon viewing session would be around Humber Bay Park, where you will be able to see it rise above the skyline. In instances like this, the moon appears especially large thanks to an optical illusion. Add a long camera lens to the mix, and you might be able to get a jaw-dropping photo.

You can also take a look for this moon on Saturday, October 15, as it will be so close enough to full that it your eyes won't be able to tell the difference. Even better, if you happen to miss this one, the next two moons will be supermoons, with the November edition (a.k.a. the Beaver Moon) appearing as the largest of the year. Mark your skywatching calendars!

Photo by Nicoli OZ Matthews in the blogTO Flickr pool.