Top astronomy events for October 2025
From a supermoon to a pair of meteor showers streaking across the night sky, here are the top astronomy events for the month of October.
The first and brightest supermoon of 2025 is just days away. October’s harvest moon will appear to be the largest moon and will illuminate the sky for several nights. Here’s what to know and when to watch.
The October full moon will orbit closer to Earth than all the other full moons this year so far, making it a special supermoon that will appear the biggest, brightest and yellowest of 2025, giving stargazers a night to remember.
The harvest moon is also different from all other full moons in that it isn’t tied to a particular month, but rather to the timing of the autumnal equinox, which can happen either in September or October. This year the autumnal equinox fell on Sept. 22.
In any typical year the September full moon is known as the corn moon and the October full moon is known as the hunter’s moon, however every year one of these two — depending on which falls closer to the timing of the autumnal equinox — becomes the harvest moon.
It will be the first of three supermoons this year.
Here’s everything to know about the brilliant harvest supermoon of 2025 and the current moon phases.
When is the next full moon 2025?
The next full moon will be the harvest supermoon, set to rise on Monday, Oct. 6, with peak illumination at 11:47 p.m. ET. It will rise low on the horizon and unlike other full moons, it will rise at about the same time for several nights.
What is a supermoon?
A supermoon happens when the moon’s orbit is closest to the Earth at the same time the moon is full. According to NASA, at approximately 226,000 miles from Earth, the full moon appears brighter and larger than a regular full moon, hence the term supermoon.
This October supermoon will drift over the horizon around sunset and the illusion of a larger and brighter orange color moon will appear because of how close it is to the earth.
Why is it called the harvest moon?
The harvest moon came to be called that because of the abundance of bright moonlight in the early evening hours when farmers harvested their crops. They worked well into the night as autumn began, before electricity.
Unlike other full moons, the harvest moon rises at nearly the same time for the few nights surrounding it, just 25 to 30 minutes later each day, versus the average 50 minutes later each day throughout the year. It will also rise very near sunset for those few nights, appearing like a full moon for three days in a row.
Why is it called the hunter’s moon?
The hunter’s moon name comes from the traditional hunting season, as the brighter lunar light allowed hunters to track and gather game in preparation for the frigid days and nights of the winter to come.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, October marked the season in the Northern Hemisphere, where the falling leaves and lasting moonlight made it easier to see and hunt animals at night and the brush is not as thick making hunting and tracking easier.
The October moon is also known as sanguine or blood moon, also referencing the blood from hunting or the color of changing autumn leaves.
What are the current moon phases?
- 🌑 New moon: Sept. 21
- 🌓 First quarter: Sept. 29
- 🌕 Full moon: Oct. 6
- 🌗 Last quarter: Oct. 13
When is the November full moon?
The November full moon of 2025, the beaver supermoon, will occur on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.
