The October Full Moon
Hunter's Moon
The full moon after the Harvest Moon — light for the autumn hunt.
The next Hunter's Moon is full on Monday, October 26, 2026 at 08:58 UTC.
Why it's called the Hunter's Moon
The Hunter's Moon follows the Harvest Moon. With fields cleared and game fattened for winter, its bright early-evening rising gave hunters the light to track and stock up before the cold.
October's full moon continues the Harvest Moon's trick of rising soon after sunset, extending the evening light. With the fields bare, deer and other game were easy to spot — so the moon of the hunt earned its name.
It is sometimes called a Blood Moon for the season's slaughter and the reddish autumn light — a folk name unrelated to the Blood Moon of a total lunar eclipse. Both the Harvest and Hunter's Moons belong to the season, not to a single fixed month.
October's full moon is also known as the Blood Moon, the Sanguine Moon, the Dying Grass Moon.
Watching the Hunter's Moon
A full moon rises in the east around sunset and stays up all night, setting near sunrise — so any clear evening close to Mon, October 26 you can watch it climb once it gets dark. It looks biggest and most golden in the first hour after it rises, sitting low on the horizon.
Photographing it? A full moon is flatly lit and shows little crater relief — frame it against a landscape, hills or skyline just after moonrise for scale and warm colour. For sharp crater detail, shoot a night or two before or after full, when shadows return along the terminator.
Hunter's Moon dates
| Year | Date (UTC) | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Mon, October 26 | 08:58 |
| 2027 | Fri, October 15 | 19:55 |
| 2028 | Tue, October 3 | 21:30 |
| 2029 | Mon, October 22 | 12:10 |
| 2030 | Fri, October 11 | 11:27 |
Times are UTC, computed from lunar geometry — local clock times vary by your time zone.
Frequently Asked
When is the Hunter's Moon in 2026?
The Hunter's Moon in 2026 is full on Monday, October 26, 2026 at 08:58 UTC. It is the full moon of October.
Why is it called the Hunter's Moon?
The Hunter's Moon follows the Harvest Moon. With fields cleared and game fattened for winter, its bright early-evening rising gave hunters the light to track and stock up before the cold.
What else is the October full moon called?
Besides the Hunter's Moon, October's full moon is also known as the Blood Moon, the Sanguine Moon, the Dying Grass Moon.
Is the Hunter's Moon a supermoon in 2026?
No — the 2026 Hunter's Moon on Monday, October 26, 2026 is a regular full moon. It is not close enough to the Moon's perigee to count as a supermoon.