What is a Harvest Moon?

A Harvest Moon is what we call the full moon that occurs close to the first day of autumn ( the autumn equinox ).

In 2025, people will be able to see a Harvest Moon on the evening of October 6th. This moon will also be a supermoon, meaning it will be extra bright and big!

Supermoons occur when the moon is at perigee (its closest point to Earth), so it appears bigger and brighter than usual.

Fun facts about the Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon is named for its bright light, which helped farmers work later into the evening than usual.

A Harvest Moon appears orange when it's near the horizon, as its light travels through a greater portion of the Earth's atmosphere.

Harvest moons are sometimes called the Corn Moon or the Barley Moon.

The Harvest Moon can fall in either September or October, depending on when the full moon is closest to the autumn equinox.

Easy activities for learning about the Moon

Learn about the phases of the moon with moon phase cupcakes!

Try one of my 10 easy activities for learning about moon landings.

Find out how craters form using hot chocolate and flour.

Try some stargazing!

Last Updated on October 3, 2025 by Emma Vanstone