Your Moon Guide for October 2026

When to See the Full Moon in October

October’s Full Moon is at its most illuminated at 04:11 UTC on October 26, 2026.

The Moon always appears full in the days before and after peak illumination. Full Moon is the only phase where the Moon is up all night, with moonrise and moonset occurring around sunset and sunrise.

Where is the Moon right now? Our Moon location tool shows you the Moon’s phases and distance from Earth right now. Use the toolbar below the animation, or the menu on the side, to jump to different dates.

Moon Phase Times October 2026

Moon phases are divided into primary and intermediate: Primary Moon phases happen at a specific moment in time, while the intermediate Moon phases occupy the times in between.

Lunar Occultations and Close Approaches

Every month, the Moon completes one circuit around the sky, sweeping by each of the planets and stars in a close approach.

And October is a really good month this year. Not only will we have quite a few close approaches, but we’ll also have a lunar occultation visible to many people.

A lunar occultation is when the Moon crosses our line of sight to a distant celestial object. Near the beginning of this month, the Moon passes in front of first Mars, then Jupiter.

Keep an eye out for these lunar events this month:

• September 30–October 1, Moon & the Pleiades: The Waning Gibbous Moon meets up with the Pleiades star cluster. If you bring a pair of binoculars, look for Uranus near the Moon as well. See Pleione in our Night Sky Map for New York. In Greek mythology, Pleione is the mother of the seven sisters that the cluster is named after.
• October 5, Moon-Mars close approach/occultation: The Waning Crescent Moon rises with Mars. Most places have a really close approach, like in New York, as the occultation is only visible on the northernmost part of the globe.
• October 6, Moon-Jupiter occultation/close approach: The Waning Crescent Moon occults Jupiter, and it can be seen in parts of North America and Africa. Other locations can enjoy another close approach. Look east in the pre-dawn sky to see the Moon pass in front of Jupiter in New York.
• October 12, Moon-Venus-Mercury close approach: Observable from the Southern Hemisphere and close to the equator, an almost New Moon, Venus, and Mercury set close together just after sunset. Examples from Australia, Argentina, or South Africa. Note: Never point binoculars or telescopes toward the Sun. It can damage your eyes.
• October 24–25, Moon-Saturn close approach: An almost Full Moon meets up with Saturn. The pair will be up pretty much all night. See it on our Night Sky Map for London.
• October 27–28, Moon & the Pleiades: The young Full Moon finds its way back to the Pleiades, occulting the star cluster in some locations, and coming very close in others. See what it looks like from New York.

The above close approaches are visible from more or less any part of the world—we’ve included the examples from our Night Sky Map to give you a taste of the view from different cities.

The Full Moon in October Is the Hunter’s Moon

The Full Moon following the Harvest Moon is called the Hunter’s Moon. Traditionally, people in the Northern Hemisphere spent October preparing for the coming winter by hunting, slaughtering, and preserving meat.

This Full Moon is also known as the Drying Rice Moon, Falling Leaves Moon, Freezing Moon and the Seed Fall Moon. It can also be called the Pagan Blood Moon or Sanguine Moon, not to be confused with a Blood Moon.

Where Is the Moon in the Zodiac in October?

At Full Moon in October 2026, the Moon will be in the constellation Aries.

Each month, as it completes one orbit around the Earth, the Moon appears to travel through constellations within the zodiac, which astronomers define as a strip of sky either side of the ecliptic.

These include the 12 “traditional” constellations of the zodiac—such as Aries and Libra—plus the lesser-known constellation Ophiuchus. And because the Moon’s orbit is tilted by about 5° to the ecliptic, it occasionally wanders into other constellations, too, such as Auriga.

Frequently Asked Moon Questions