Last Thursday night the moon, a.k.a the big cheese orb in the sky, was looking extra shiny and brighter than usual, following my car around with extra vigor as I drove down I-95. Of course, the moon doesn’t actually follow me--or anyone, really--but it’s just one of those silly beliefs that grown children like myself like to hold to in a crazy, mad world.

In true investigative fashion (I’m sure Bob Woodward would be proud), I used some educational websites and some library e-books to find out why the moon was so big on the 17th: It turns out that last week’s full moon was a supermoon. A supermoon, according to NASA, occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest to Earth at the same time the Moon is full. October’s supermoon was also a “hunter’s moon”, which according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, is the first full Moon after the Harvest Moon (which was in September this year), which in turn is the closest full Moon to the autumn equinox.

These names are all connected to hunting and gathering patterns that have been in place since the dawn of civilization, which is pretty neat. If I were a hunter thousands of years ago, having a big hunter’s moon in the sky would be a great help for my vision as I attempt to organize my wedding with my attractive werewolf fiancé (I’m sure that’s historically accurate).

Full moons are important in many cultures and religions. In Judaism, last week’s full moon coincided with Sukkot, a weeklong harvest festival also known as the Feast of Tabernacles. In Hinduism, the full moon is known as Purnima (“full moon” in Sanskrit), and a variety of festivals and celebrations are held on full moon dates. And in Buddhism, the full moon in the month of May is called Vesak, which is essentially another festival celebrating the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, also known as Siddartha Gautauma.

For those who follow Western astrology, or who want to impress the hot date they met off Hinge, the moon is the ruler of the star sign Cancer, represented by a crab. Your star sign is Cancer if you were born between June 20 to July 22. A cardinal sign, Cancers are known for their sensitive natures and strong intuition. You can find more information on zodiac signs by subscribing to Cosmopolitan or follow on Instagram the one girl you went to high school with that now sells crystals and does palm readings (I’m pretty sure that this is a universal experience).

I hope you all enjoyed these fun facts, because I certainly did. Learning new things is a great way to escape from the monotony of the American 9-to-5, while also enriching your knowledge of the world around you. I wish I had more time to do that, to be honest.

(Life is bigger than the cul-de-sac you live in, madam editor! Stop watching Hulu and get out more!)

Andrea Gutierrez is the editor of the Bryan County News. The MTV series “Teen Wolf ” is her seasonal guilty pleasure television program. Gutierrez’s star sign is Cancer and her moon sign is Gemini, which apparently means “her brain can’t shut up”, according to a Instagram meme page.