Don’t Miss October’s Spectacular Supermoon: Your Guide to the First Full Harvest Moon of the Year!

Look up on Monday night to catch the first supermoon of the year! The full moon arrives at 11:48 p.m. ET, lighting up the sky. You can enjoy it from Monday night into early Tuesday, even if it’s cloudy on the first night.

This October full moon, known as the harvest moon, comes right after the autumnal equinox. Traditionally, farmers relied on its bright light to finish up their harvests before winter. It’s a wonderful connection to our history and the cycles of nature.

This supermoon won’t be the only one this year—it’s the first of three! A supermoon happens when the moon is at its closest point to Earth, making it appear larger and brighter. Noah Petro, a NASA scientist, suggests watching the moon not just on the peak night, but over several days and weeks to truly appreciate how it changes.

The excitement around this moon is heightened as NASA gears up for the Artemis II mission, scheduled for early next year. This mission will take astronauts around the moon, bringing human exploration back to lunar territory after decades. Petro emphasizes how special this time is: “We have a chance to see a moon along with humans visiting it soon.”

If you’re interested in future moon phases, mark these dates:

• November 5: Beaver moon
• December 4: Cold moon

You’ll also want to keep an eye out for various meteor showers soon, including:

• Draconids: October 8-9
• Orionids: October 20-21
• Southern Taurids: November 4-5
• Northern Taurids: November 11-12
• Leonids: November 16-17
• Geminids: December 13-14
• Ursids: December 21-22

For more information on celestial events, check out the EarthSky and the American Meteor Society. Enjoy the wonders of the night sky!

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