Hunter's Moon 2026: How and When to See October's Full Moon

The October full moon, widely known as the Hunter's Moon, reaches peak illumination in the early hours of 26 October 2026, but skywatchers do not need to stay up for it. The moon is expected to look most striking as it rises at sunset, when it takes on an orange-reddish glow close to the horizon. One report put the rise around 5:45 p.m. in the Boston area, and Space.com advised stargazers in the United States to look for it in the eastern sky at sunset on 25 October.

Timing varies by location. Space.com said the moon reaches 100 percent illumination at 12:12 a.m. EDT on 26 October, while The Boston Globe gave the exact peak as 12:11 a.m. on Monday. Both outlets advised checking local moonrise tables for exact times.

Why it is called the Hunter's Moon

The name comes from the traditional farming calendar. The full moon arrives soon after the summer harvest has been cleared, leaving fields bare so hunters can track game and stock up for winter, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The Globe quoted the Almanac noting that the bright moon rising soon after sunset gave hunters extra evening light to follow game deeper into the night.

Other names reflect the season too. Space.com reported that the Cree people of North America call it the Migrating Moon, a reference to birds heading to warmer climates, while the Ojibwe and Haida call it the Freezing Moon, reflecting the autumn drop in temperature. The Globe also listed the names Falling Leaves Moon, Freezing Moon, Migrating Moon and Drying Rice Moon used by Indigenous peoples of North America.

What to look for in the sky

The moon often looks larger near the horizon, a effect Space.com attributed to the way the brain perceives the disk against nearby objects. Shortly after moonrise, the moon can also appear yellow-orange, because shorter blue wavelengths of its reflected light are scattered as it passes through the atmosphere at a low angle.

The Globe said clear skies were forecast across New England and noted that the moon's rise would coincide with the lingering Orionid meteor shower. The Orionids, linked to dust from Halley's Comet, peaked the previous week, but cloudy skies had blocked much of the view in the Northeast at that time.

Full moon in the coming weeks

The moon will still look full through Tuesday as it moves into its waning gibbous phase, and the Globe said the difference in brightness over the next couple of evenings would be negligible. Space.com suggested that a telescope or camera could pick out features such as the dark lunar seas, formed by ancient lava flows, and bright streaks of material thrown out by young craters.

The Globe also reported that the next two full moons, the Beaver Moon and the Cold Moon, will be consecutive supermoons. According to NASA, a supermoon can look about 30 percent brighter and up to 14 percent larger than the faintest moon of the year. The Beaver Moon is due on Tuesday, 24 November, at 9:53 a.m. EST, and the Cold Moon on 23 December at 8:28 p.m. EST, which the Globe described as the closest and brightest supermoon of the year.

What we know so far: The October full moon is set to be visible at sunset on 25 and 26 October and will be at peak illumination shortly after midnight, with clear skies forecast in parts of the Northeast. Exact times depend on location.