Hunter’s Moon lights landmarks worldwide
Stunning photos capture October's Hunter's Moon around the world
Monday, 26 October 2026
Photo by Aleksey Kuzmichev on Unsplash
Warm-up
- Do you ever look at the Moon? When and where?
- What colours have you seen in the night sky?
- Which famous place would you like to see under moonlight?
Vocabulary
- tradition
- a custom or way of doing things that people follow over time
- nickname
- a short or special name that people use for something
- harvest
- the time when farmers gather crops from the fields
- hunter
- a person who looks for and kills wild animals for food
- glow
- a soft, steady light
- horizon
- the line where the land or sea seems to meet the sky
- passenger
- a person who travels in a car, bus, plane, or train
- skyline
- the outline of a city’s tall buildings against the sky
Reading
Listen to this story
British EnglishOctober’s full Moon lit up night skies around the world. It has a nickname from old traditions: the Hunter’s Moon. In the Northern Hemisphere, people once went hunting after the autumn harvest, and the Moon often sat in the sky for a long time. Its long glow helped hunters see at night, similar to the Harvest Moon that comes before it.
Photos showed the Moon over many famous places. Passengers on a plane saw it above San Francisco Bay in the US. It rose behind the skyline of midtown Manhattan and set over Istanbul’s Galata Tower. People also watched it in Derbyshire in the UK, Baghdad in Iraq, and by a basilica in Molfetta, Italy.
When the Moon is low near the horizon, it can look orange or reddish because more air scatters blue light.
Comprehension
- What is the October full Moon’s nickname?
- Why did people value this Moon in the past?
- Name two places where people saw the Moon, according to the photos.
- What colours can the Moon look when it is low near the horizon?
- Who enjoyed a view of the Moon above San Francisco Bay?
Grammar focus
Past simple
Use the past simple for finished actions in the past. Form: regular -ed (watched) or irregular forms (saw, went).
- Photos showed the Moon over many famous places.
- Passengers on a plane saw it above San Francisco Bay in the US.
Grammar exercise
Complete each sentence with the past simple form.
- In October, people (watch) ___ the Hunter’s Moon.
- People once (go) ___ hunting after the harvest.
- In the photos, the Moon (appear) ___ over cities.
- On their flight, passengers (see) ___ it above the bay.
- In those photos, it (look) ___ orange near the horizon.
Discussion
- Which photo location from the text would you like to visit? Why?
- Have you taken a night-sky photo? How did it go?
- Do you prefer sunrise, sunset, or moonrise? Why?
- What local place would look best under a bright full Moon?
Vocabulary, reading, and exercises with instant feedback
Spotted a mistake in this lesson? Tell us.