October’s full Harvest Moon looms massive over the japanese horizon at sundown tonight! Here’s what you want to know earlier than the primary supermoon of 2025 rises to dominate the night time sky with an impressive show of moonlight.
The full moon part will happen at 11:48 p.m. EDT on Oct. 6 (0348 GMT Oct. 7), when the lunar disk will seem fully-lit reverse the solar in Earth‘s sky, shining subsequent to the celebs of the constellation Pisces with Saturn gleaming to its higher proper.
Look east at sunset on Oct. 6 to witness the lunar disk climbing through the dusk sky mere hours before it reaches its full moon phase, which will occur close to midnight for viewers in New York. Stargazers will likely see the moon take on a yellow-orange hue during moonrise, as Earth’s atmosphere scatters the shorter, bluer wavelengths of moonlight, while allowing the longer, redder wavelengths to journey through relatively unhindered.
Be sure to look out for the bright streaks of ejecta rays streaking outward from impact craters to mark the dark expanses of the lunar seas. It’s also a perfect time to take your telescope or a pair of binoculars to hunt down the six Apollo-era human landing sites scattered across the lunar surface using our handy spotting guide, though it’ll be impossible to spot the actual lunar hardware from Earth. Take a look at our tips on how to observe the moon to discover what other majestic features will be on show as Earth’s natural satellite hits its full moon phase.
Astrophotographers hoping to capture an image of October’s full Harvest Moon should also read our expert’s guide detailing how to image a supermoon using a DSLR camera. Those looking to upgrade their equipment should also check out our recommendations for the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography available in 2025.
Editor’s Note: If you capture an image of the Harvest supermoon and want to share it with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, name and the location of your shoot to spacephotos@space.com.