The Hunter's Moon rose on Thursday (Oct. 17), becoming the biggest and brightest full moon of the year and wowing skywatchers around the globe with a spooky pre-Halloween show.

The full moon in October is also known as the “hunter’s moon” because it marks the beginning of the hunting season, signaling to hunters to begin preparing for colder conditions, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The “hunter’s moon” follows the “harvest moon,” a moon phase that signals the best time for harvesters to reap their crops.

The full moon falls in the midpoint of the lunar cycle when the Earth is positioned directly between the sun and the moon. The moon takes about 30 days to orbit the Earth, which is the full lunary cycle.