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Harvest Moon to Illuminate UK Skies This Weekend
Confirmed
In Short: The Harvest Moon, visible in UK skies this weekend, will reach its fullest point on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 17:49 BST.
The Harvest Moon, visible in UK skies this weekend, will reach its fullest point on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 17:49 BST. This full moon, known for its proximity to the autumn equinox, will be visible for several nights around its peak, offering skywatchers ample opportunity to observe it.
According to the BBC, favourable conditions for viewing the Harvest Moon are expected in many parts of the UK, with the longest clear spells anticipated in the south and east. The current forecast suggests Saturday could bring some drier and brighter weather, particularly across parts of England.
The Harvest Moon gets its name from being the full Moon closest to the autumn equinox, which this year took place on Wednesday. Historically, the additional moonlight after sunset was useful to farmers gathering crops, as it provided extra light for evening work.
The Royal Observatory Greenwich also lists the Corn Moon as another common name for September's full Moon, reflecting the crops traditionally harvested around this time of year. However, it does not always fall in September, and if October's full Moon is closer to the autumn equinox, it takes the title instead.
When the Moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, it appears larger and brighter, a phenomenon known as the Harvest Moon effect. This occurs because when the Moon lies low in the sky and is close to the horizon, its light has to travel through more of the Earth's atmosphere before reaching our eyes, often giving it a yellow, orange, or reddish hue.
The Harvest Moon will be visible for several nights around its peak, so skywatchers will have multiple opportunities to observe it. The Moon will appear full for three days, providing a chance to see it after sunset.
In addition to the Harvest Moon, skywatchers may also spot Saturn and Neptune in the eastern evening sky, as the Moon will rise near these planets on September 26. To catch the best view, find a location with an unobstructed view toward the east and watch for the Moon to climb above the horizon.
While the Harvest Moon typically occurs in September, it can occasionally happen in October. This year, the Harvest Moon will replace the usual Full Corn Moon, as it is the closest full Moon to the autumn equinox.
The Harvest Moon is a significant celestial event, and its visibility will depend on clear weather conditions. With favourable forecasts expected, skywatchers in the UK should have a good chance to witness this beautiful natural phenomenon.
What this adds
The Harvest Moon will be visible for several nights around its peak, offering multiple opportunities to observe it. The Moon will appear full for three days, providing a chance to see it after sunset.
Background
The Harvest Moon, visible in UK skies this weekend, will reach its fullest point on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 17:49 BST.
The Harvest Moon will be visible in UK skies this weekend, reaching its fullest point on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
What's confirmed
- Rising around sunset and setting around sunrise, the September Full Moon is traditionally called the Corn Moon, as it occurs at a time when corn is harvested.
- This is often called the Harvest Moon effect.
- The phenomenon of a Full Moon arises when our planet, Earth, is precisely sandwiched between the Sun and the Moon.
- This alignment ensures the entire side of the Moon that faces us gleams under sunlight.
- Thanks to the Moon’s orbit around Earth, the angle of sunlight hitting the lunar surface and being reflected back to our planet changes.
- The next Full Moon will be the Harvest Moon, which occurs at 12:49 p.m.
- We’ll update this article multiple times each week with the latest moonrise, moonset, Full Moon schedule, and some of what you can see in the sky each week.
- Here’s the complete list of Full Moons this year and their traditional names.
- (All times Eastern; * denotes a Super Moon.) The times below for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W.
- Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous (97%) Friday, September 25 Full Moon doesn’t officially occur until 12:49 P.M.
- Moon Phase: Full Saturday, September 26 Full Moon occurs at 12:49 P.M.
- For several evenings around the harvest moon, the moon rises shortly after sunset, providing extra moonlight early in the evening.
What's still developing
- Five night sky events to look out for this autumn Your pictures as equinox marks the start of astronomical autumn The 2025 Harvest Moon, seen here rising over the City of London, was on 7 October If you catch the Moon as it rises it may appear yellow, orange or even reddish.
- At least seven months of relentless rain needed to end drought, research shows New hurricane season record as 'historic' El Niño leaves Atlantic eerily quiet When and how to see the Harvest Moon in 2026 Your pictures as equinox marks the start of astronomical autumn Weather for the week ahead.
- Chang’e-6 samples suggest the Moon’s two very different sides may have formed when uneven heating drove magma from one hemisphere to the other.
- The Moon presents two dramatically different faces.
- New analyses of material returned by Chang’e-6 (CE6) suggest that this contrast may trace back to enormous flows within the Moon’s early magma ocean after it became tidally locked to Earth.
- Their results point to lateral thermal convection within the lunar magma ocean (LMO) as a possible origin of the Moon’s nearside-farside dichotomy.
- It is thought to have formed in spring 2024 when a comet or asteroid, which researchers said was about the size of a three- to six-story building, struck the Moon.
- "Scientists estimate that an impact of this magnitude happens on the Moon about once in a century or even longer," NASA said.
- Although the crater had existed for about two years, it was only spotted when Robert Wagner, a researcher on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, noticed it in a new scan of the lunar surface.
- The LRO probe, which has been studying the Moon since 2009, showed the crater as a "large bright spot circled by a dark halo." A study published on Wednesday in the journal Science Advances concluded that it was the largest new crater ever discovered in the solar system.
- But studying newly formed craters helps scientists understand the Moon's geology, which could help prepare future crewed missions to the Moon planned by both the United States and China.
- Unlike Earth, the Moon has almost no atmosphere, so space debris does not slow down or burn up before hitting its surface.