Are the Harvest Moon and the Hunter’s Moon the same thing?

No: the Harvest Moon is the full moon nearest the autumn equinox, and the Hunter’s Moon is the one that follows it. Depending on the year, the Hunter’s Moon falls in October or early November; the exact dates are shown on this page.

Why does October’s moon look orange?

Every full moon does near the horizon: there, its light crosses a thicker layer of air, which scatters the blue and lets the warm tones through. In October, we often catch it early in the evening, low and coppery, hence its reputation.

Lunar calendar · October

The moon in October October

In October the night takes the upper hand, and the full moon is called the Hunter’s Moon. The harvested fields laid the game bare, and its still close-set risings stretched out the evening light: this was the time to hunt and fill the stores before winter. It’s a moon often coppery near the horizon, keeping company with the mists, the falling leaves and the urge to head indoors and warm up.

The essentials

Traditional full moon: the Hunter’s Moon
Origin of the name: harvested fields, game in plain sight: people hunted by moonlight for the winter stores
Season: autumn settled in, the night outlasts the day
In the sky: often coppery as it rises, while crossing the thickness of the atmosphere
Keyword for the month: foresight

October’s lunar mood

In October, the night officially takes the upper hand over the day. The morning mists settle in, the leaves fall, and the moon shows itself early: the month’s full moon rises at the start of the evening, still reddened by the thickness of atmosphere it crosses at the horizon, at the hour everyone can see it.

That coppery tint is nothing mysterious: near the horizon, moonlight crosses a thicker layer of air, which scatters the blue tones and lets the warm ones through. As it climbs, the moon finds its silver-white again. The full show lasts less than an hour; it’s worth the appointment.

Why the “Hunter’s Moon”?

The Hunter’s Moon is the full moon that follows the Harvest Moon. Once the fields were cut, the game fattened by summer stood out in the open, and the still close-set moonrises stretched out the evening light: people hunted by moonlight to fill the stores before winter.

The name tells of an age when winter was made ready from autumn on, larder full. Other traditions speak of the Falling Leaves Moon or the Migrating Moon, when the birds depart. All these names tell the same movement: nature is packing its bags.

October’s gentle rituals

October lends itself to early-evening walks: the full moon rises early enough to keep you company on the way home from work, and catching it at the corner of a street or the end of a field is still a small event. Watch for the moment it shifts from copper to silver as it gains height.

Tradition reads here a time of foresight: you tidy, you sort, you symbolically fill your stores for the dark season. It can come down to little things, a cupboard set in order, a list pared down, a home made ready for the long evenings.

And in the garden?

In the garden, October plants the spring bulbs, divides the perennials and shelters the tender plants: the step-by-step awaits you in the October lunar gardening calendar.

The lunations of October (exact dates)

Calculated from the ephemeris, in London time, and rechecked every night. Each lunation has its own detailed page.

Frequently asked questions

Are the Harvest Moon and the Hunter’s Moon the same thing?: No: the Harvest Moon is the full moon nearest the autumn equinox, and the Hunter’s Moon is the one that follows it. Depending on the year, the Hunter’s Moon falls in October or early November; the exact dates are shown on this page.
Why does October’s moon look orange?: Every full moon does near the horizon: there, its light crosses a thicker layer of air, which scatters the blue and lets the warm tones through. In October, we often catch it early in the evening, low and coppery, hence its reputation.