October 8, 2025
Awake before the sunrise to find clear skies and a glowing waning gibbous Moon (still close to full) looking large and bright in the western sky. I missed the recent full Moon, seeing it the day before and the day after, but not at peak illumination. Ah well, more supermoons are coming in the months ahead.
What is a supermoon, you might ask? According to NASA, “A supermoon occurs when a full Moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point known as perigee.”1 This phenomenon causes the moon to appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter. Naturally, since the moon is closer, this also means it’s gravitational pull on the Earth is slightly increased, causing stronger than normal tides.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac states that the October Harvest Moon, “isn’t just any Moon—it’s the first of three Supermoons in 2025, making it the largest and brightest full Moon of the year.”2 Admittedly, after all that hype I was a little disappointed it was overcast and I didn’t get to witness it. Maybe you got to see it?
More Chilly Weather
Noticeably chilly and about 10 degrees cooler (for this time of day, 8:11 am) than the trend as of late. Some of the trees are starting to look bare in patches, while others are nearly fully green. The next few nights are going to be cool (low to mid 40’s), so perhaps that will inspire the trees to commence their autumnal color show. Tonight I will be thankful for the cozy comforter on my bed. Perhaps we will get some nighttime kitty snuggles too!
October 9, 2025
The pale morning sunrise cast a soft pastel gradient of pink and purple hues along the western horizon. The sky is clear. My weather app (Weather Underground) is showing fog, but I don’t see any, not even along the river. The air is chilly. I’ve got a fleece jacket on and more windows closed than usual (I love to have the windows open as much as possible). The moon is still quite bright, but waning by the day. Surprisingly, it is still visible, even in full daylight. I’ve been hoping for a frost, maybe we will get one tonight.
October 10, 2025
A bright and sunny day, with another chilly start. Still no fall colors. The slowly sinking supermoon continues to hang in the morning sky. I wanted to wear a scarf (it IS autumn after all), but it felt like overkill (70°F at 4:05 pm). Sadly, not cool enough for that yet. However, it was too cold to sit outside and write from the balcony this morning (it seems I am not acclimating to the weather change very quickly). The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting that January and February will be colder than average.3 We shall have to wait and see! 72 days till winter begins.
