Diary

Today marks the most significant lunar event of October: the full moon. In strictly mathematical terms, the full moon occurred a few hours ago—around 7:00 a.m. Moscow time—but witnessing the exact moment was difficult from within the country. In the eastern regions, it was already daytime, while in the European part of Russia, the sky was already quite bright as the Sun began to rise, and the Moon had nearly dipped below the horizon. Consequently, the truly ideal conditions for viewing will arrive this evening and throughout the night.

Across the country, the Moon will rise between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. local time, coinciding roughly with sunset. It will reach its highest point above the horizon—offering the best visibility for this celestial body (which shines by reflected, rather than its own, light)—around 11:00 p.m. to midnight. If you prefer not to wait that long, you can still catch a glimpse of the bright Moon just 1–2 hours after sunset, provided you have a clear view of the eastern horizon, where it will be rising.

Although the precise moment of the full moon will have passed by this evening, the Moon will still be 98–99% illuminated—making it virtually impossible to distinguish it from a perfect circle, whether with the naked eye or even through optical instruments.

Currently, the Moon is appearing progressively larger with each full moon, a trend that will culminate on December 24 with a "supermoon"—the largest full moon of the year. The full moons immediately preceding and following this—in November and January—are also often classified as supermoons. While today’s October event does not fall into this category, the Moon will nonetheless appear at its largest size in the last eight months, so it certainly shouldn't disappoint.