Moon

Harvest Moon reaches full phase Saturday, Sept. 26 at 12:49 p.m. ET

The full moon of September 2026 peaks Saturday, Sept. 26, at 12:49 p.m. ET, and it takes the name Harvest Moon this year because it falls closest to the autumnal equinox on Sept. 22, Yahoo Tech and Space.com report.

Because the peak arrives in daylight, skywatchers across the U.S. will still see a nearly full moon the nights before and after, and the Old Farmer's Almanac recommends Sept. 25, 26 and 27 as the best viewing nights.

Published

Why September's moon gets two names#

September's full moon can be called either the Corn Moon or the Harvest Moon, and this year it takes the Harvest Moon title because it lands nearer the equinox than October's full moon, according to Yahoo Tech. In 2025, the Harvest Moon designation went to October's full moon instead.

The Old Farmer's Almanac describes the Harvest Moon as an astronomical event long tracked by astronomers, distinct from the folklore-based Native American moon names, and notes it will appear full for three days starting Sept. 26.

Space.com reports the moon will rise at sunset on Sept. 26 in the constellation Pisces as seen from the U.S., taking on a yellow-orange glow from Rayleigh scattering, a process that filters reflected light through Earth's atmosphere near the horizon.

Extra light that once aided the harvest#

The name traces back to farmers who relied on bright moonlight to work fields after dark before electricity existed, with NASA noting the light mattered most in fall when harvests were largest, Yahoo Tech and burlingtonfreepress.com report.

Around the Harvest Moon, the moon rises only about 23 minutes later each night near 42 degrees north latitude, rather than the usual 50-minute delay, giving several evenings in a row of early bright moonlight, the Old Farmer's Almanac reports.

Burlingtonfreepress.com reports that at mid-northern latitudes the gap between successive moonrises can shrink to as little as 25 to 30 minutes, and that the Harvest Moon coincides with cultural observances including China's Mid-Autumn Festival, the Wiccan festival of Mabon, the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and Korea's Chuseok.

What comes after the peak#

As of Sept. 21, the moon sat in its Waxing Gibbous phase with 72% of its surface visible, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker cited by Mashable, ahead of the Sept. 26 full phase.

Space.com reports that early risers around the Harvest Moon will also see Jupiter and Mars lined up on either side of the constellation Cancer, while the Farmer's Almanac lists the next full moon, the Hunter's Moon, peaking Oct. 26 at 12:12 a.m. ET.

Discover more