Skywatching in October 2025

What’s Up in the Sky in October?

Moon Guide for October 2025

Moon Phases and Moon events in October.

Published: Sep 30, 2025

October Harvest Moon

This year, the Harvest Moon lands on October 7, 2025. It is defined as the closest Full Moon to autumnal (fall) equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.

As well as being named after the harvest season in the northern half of the globe, the moonrise times around Full Moon at the autumnal equinox are favorable to getting in the harvest. This is because the difference in the time between moonrise from one night to the next becomes less than the average of 50 minutes. The result is that, for several nights in a row, there’s extra moonlight in the evenings. Historically, this gave farmers more time to harvest crops.

The opposite takes effect in the Southern Hemisphere around the September equinox with more than 50 minutes between moonrise from one day to the next around the Full Moon.

Two Meteor Showers in October

Meteors, or shooting stars, are the bright streaks of light that occur when a meteoroid—a rock in space—hits our atmosphere and burns up. Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through a trail of debris left by a comet or asteroid.

October boasts two meteor showers: the Draconid meteor shower peaking around October 8–9, and the Orionid meteor shower peaking around October 20–21. The bad news is that the glare from the bright Full Moon will reduce the number of Draconids that are visible this year. The good news is that the Orionids peak close to New Moon, when the night sky is at its darkest.

The origin of the Draconids is the dust trail left by comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. Meanwhile, the Orionids have a more famous parent body: Halley’s Comet. Have a look at our tips for watching meteor showers.

Coral Spawning Follows October Full Moon

In the days after Full Moon in October and November, corals in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef simultaneously release bundles of eggs and sperm into the sea. This phenomenon is called coral spawning.

The event only happens at night, and its timing hinges on a number of factors including Moon phase, water temperatures, salinity levels, and the length of day.

In the case of the Great Barrier Reef, the inshore reefs usually spawn in October; the outer reefs tend to spawn during November or December. Meanwhile at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, off the coast of Texas and Louisiana in the USA, coral spawning typically happens after the August Full Moon.

Mercury Makes a Bright Appearance

Mercury shines bright on October 29 as it reaches its greatest elongation east. In general, the days on either side of greatest elongations are the best time to catch the innermost planet in our solar system.

Because Mercury is small and lies close to the Sun, it can be a challenge to observe. But at greatest elongation east, there is a chance to see it with the naked eye soon after sunset.

And the elusive Mercury tends to favor one or other of the hemispheres—this time stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere get the best view.

There will be a close approach of Mercury and Mars on October 20, seen here from Sydney, Australia, as the two planets set.

And on October 23, the Waxing Crescent Moon will join Mercury and Mars—as seen here in Sydney at around 20:15 (8:15 pm) local time.

But beware: Do not try to observe objects close to the Sun while any part of the Sun is above the horizon. Never point binoculars or a telescope in the direction of the Sun—it can cause permanent eye damage.

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