Rare October Harvest Moon to become 2025’s first supermoon in stunning display

This year’s Harvest Moon will be the largest and brightest moon of the year, marking the first supermoon since November 2024.

The Harvest Moon will also be called October's full moon as it is going to appear on skies on Tuesday, October 7, at 4.48am BST (11.48pm EDT on 6 October).

The name originated from farming traditions in the Northern Hemisphere.

Why is this Harvest Moon so special?

The Harvest Moon in most years rises in September. Owing to the lunar cycle’s timing, this year’s full moon which is always closest to the autumnal equinox will grace the skies in October.

Usually, the autumnal equinox falls on September 22 or 23.

As reported by Time and Date, such occurrence is rare and last time it was witnessed in 2020.

The Harvest Moon will be supermoon

This year’s full moon will be the first supermoon in 11 months as the moon will be closer to Earth in its orbit.

The term supermoon was coined in 1979 as it refers to any full or new moon when it comes 90 percent closest to Earth, known as its perigee.

Moon Illusion

The phenomenon called “Moon Illusion” will enhance the size of the supermoon when it comes closer to the horizon.

“Photographs prove that the Moon is the same width near the horizon as when it’s high in the sky, but that’s not what we perceive with our eyes,” Nasa wrote in a blog post.

Besides October, the November and December’s full moons will be classified as supermoons.