Hunter's Moon to Light Up UK Night Sky This Weekend

The full Moon nicknamed the Hunter's Moon is set to light up the night sky this weekend, and it may be visible across the UK.

October's full Moon will be visible in the UK from Sunday 25 October into the morning of Monday 26 October. The Moon will rise in the east just after 16:00 GMT on Sunday and set towards the west between 07:00 and 08:00 GMT on Monday, though times vary across the UK.

The Moon will be officially full at 04:11 GMT on Monday, the moment of syzygy when the Sun and Moon are aligned either side of the Earth. Because it appears full on both Sunday and Monday nights, there are two chances to spot it.

It is the 11th full Moon of 13 in 2026 and the final one before a run of four consecutive supermoons.

What to look for

During a full Moon, the Earth-facing side of the Moon is illuminated by the Sun. A full Moon happens every 29.5 days, the length of the lunar cycle.

When the Moon is low in the sky, it may look orange or reddish because short wavelength blue light is scattered as it passes through a large depth of atmosphere. The longer wavelength red and orange colours are not scattered as readily, so they pass through to the eyes.

The Moon may also appear larger near moonrise and moonset. This is called the Moon Illusion, when the brain makes people think the Moon looks bigger because it is viewed alongside objects on the horizon such as buildings and trees.

There is also a chance to spot shooting stars. The Orionid meteor shower is just past its peak. The extra lunar light may obscure some meteors, so people should be patient and allow time for their eyes to adjust.

Hunter's Moon name and meaning

Full Moons throughout the year have traditionally been given names that reflect what is going on in nature. Different cultures use different names for the 12 or 13 full Moons across the lunar calendar, but many common names we use today come from Native American cultures.

In October, Hunter's Moon comes from the time of year when hunters would have been most active, preparing for colder and darker winter months ahead. The Hunter's Moon is known to sit in the sky for a particularly long time, similar to the preceding Harvest Moon, giving hunters extra light in the skies.

Weather and viewing chances

Storm Boelo will continue to bring rain and very strong winds to northern Scotland early on Sunday night, but prospects of seeing the Moon increase as the night wears on. There will be blustery showers in west Scotland and north-west England, and any gaps between these could give a brief chance to view.

For the rest of the UK, prospects are better, especially early in the night with clearer skies, before cloud tends to spread in from the south-west later. If the weather fails to cooperate where people live, the next chance to see a full Moon will be on 24 November as the Beaver Supermoon. That will be followed by a Christmas Eve Cold Supermoon on 24 December. The succession of supermoons will then continue into 2027, with January and February's full Moons both set to be supermoons too.

Source: BBC Science.