On the calendar
The full moon
Once a month it rises orange at sunset, right on cue.
When and where to look
Every 29 and a half days. Many full moons have traditional names, like the Harvest Moon nearest the September equinox and the Hunter’s Moon after it.
Why it happens
A full moon is the moon opposite the sun, fully lit from our side. It rises as the sun sets, so it spends the whole night in the sky, and it often looks larger and more orange near the horizon.
The next dates
- Hunter’s Moon, Monday 26 October (UTC)
- Beaver Moon, Tuesday 24 November (UTC)
- Cold Moon, Thursday 24 December (UTC)
- Wolf Moon, Friday 22 January (UTC)
How to catch one
- Watch it rise: find an open eastern view at sunset on the night of the full moon.
- The day before the full moon, it rises while the sky is still light.
- A clear full-moon night is bright enough to walk by.
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