October harvest moon: will you see 2025’s first supermoon at 18:20 BST, 14% bigger, 30% brighter?

Skies across the UK may deliver a rare, glowing spectacle this week, if the clouds part and timing is right.

The full Moon rising on Tuesday brings a striking combination of timing and proximity. It arrives near the Moon’s closest monthly pass by Earth, which boosts apparent size and brightness. For many, it will feel like the first proper night of autumn stargazing, with a hint of drama on the horizon.

What to expect on tuesday night

The full Harvest Moon lifts above the UK horizon at about 18:20 BST on 7 October. This is the first supermoon of 2025 and the brightest full Moon of the year so far. It follows a long gap since the last supermoon in November 2024.

The disc can appear up to 14% larger and around 30% brighter than an average full Moon when it coincides with perigee, the point where the Moon is nearest to Earth on its elliptical path.

The Harvest Moon rises at roughly 18:20 BST on 7 October, appearing up to 14% larger and 30% brighter.

Expect the most striking views low in the east shortly after moonrise. The effect softens as the Moon climbs higher and the eye loses nearby visual references on the skyline.

Why this one is called the harvest moon

Each full Moon carries a seasonal name. October’s full Moon is widely known as the Hunter’s Moon. This year, it also earns the Harvest Moon title because it is the full Moon closest to the autumn equinox, which fell on 22 September.

Traditionally, late-evening moonlight on consecutive nights offered extra working hours in fields at harvest time. That pattern continues: the Moon rises near sunset for several evenings in a row, delivering repeat windows of bright light. This Harvest Moon arrives on 7 October, the latest occurrence since 1987.

The name remains part of popular culture, not least through Neil Young’s 1992 song “Harvest Moon”, which helped cement the term for a wider audience.

So is it really a supermoon?

There is more than one definition. Many astronomers use a practical rule of thumb: a full Moon that occurs at perigee, or within 90% of the closest Earth–Moon distance in that cycle, can be described as a supermoon. The label was popularised by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979, and it stuck in everyday language.

Some researchers prefer a stricter cut-off, such as any full Moon within 360,000 km of Earth’s centre. Using that threshold, October’s Moon sits close to the line and may not qualify. Either way, the visual difference for casual observers remains subtle but noticeable, especially at moonrise.

• Common definition: full Moon at or near perigee (within 90% of the minimum Earth–Moon distance).
• Alternative definition: full Moon within 360,000 km of Earth’s centre.
• Perceived effect: up to 14% larger diameter, around 30% brighter than the year’s dimmest full Moon.

Debate over definitions aside, people notice the supermoon most easily near the horizon, where context magnifies the impression.

Where and when to look

Weather could decide who gets the view. After Storm Amy, conditions calm down, but a cold front changes the picture through Tuesday.

• Northern Ireland and Scotland: damp for a time, with clearing skies likely by moonrise or shortly after.
• Northern England, the Midlands and Wales: cloud pushing south may spoil the view at key moments.
• Southern counties: variable cloud, with brief clear spells offering worthwhile glimpses.

Find an unobstructed eastern horizon from 18:10 onwards. Elevated ground, seafronts and open parks reduce clutter, making the low Moon easier to spot as it brightens and climbs.

The horizon illusion and colour

Many people swear the Moon looks enormous close to the horizon. The disc does not change size; the eye does. Nearby buildings, trees and hills give the brain a scale reference, which boosts perceived diameter. As the Moon rises, the oversized impression fades.

A reddish or orange tint near the horizon is real. Light reflected from the Moon travels through a longer slice of the atmosphere when the Moon sits low. Shorter blue wavelengths scatter away. Longer red and orange wavelengths dominate, tinting the Moon’s face.

Your eyes can be fooled by size at the horizon, but the warm colour near moonrise is genuine atmospheric physics.

How to get a good shot on your phone

• Use a landmark. Frame the Moon with a pier, spire or tree to give scale and drama.
• Switch off flash and tap to focus on the Moon. Reduce exposure manually to avoid a blown-out disc.
• Stabilise your handset on a wall or tripod. A steady phone keeps detail crisp as light falls.
• Shoot shortly after moonrise. The disc looks larger to the eye, and you can include foreground.
• Try a 2x or 3x optical zoom if available. Digital zoom softens detail on most phones.

What happens next

This is the first of three in a row. Two more supermoons follow in late autumn, offering repeat chances under different weather patterns.

• 5 November 2025: second supermoon.
• 4 December 2025: third supermoon.

Three chances, three months: October, November and December bring a neat supermoon trilogy to round off 2025.

Background for curious skygazers

The Moon’s path around Earth is an ellipse, not a perfect circle. Distance varies by roughly 50,000 km between perigee and apogee across a typical month. That swing changes apparent size by several percent, which your eye notices most readily against foreground objects.

Because full Moons cluster around the same rising time for several evenings, the Harvest Moon often feels unusually persistent. Farmers historically counted on that extra light. Today, it simply gives city dwellers more chances between clouds.

You can watch safely with the naked eye or binoculars. Unlike the Sun, the Moon poses no hazard to vision. Basic 8x or 10x binoculars reveal craters along the shaded terminator and subtle maria patterns when thin cloud reduces glare.

Extras worth knowing

Coastal communities sometimes see slightly higher spring tides when a full Moon aligns near perigee. That does not mean flooding by default, but it can add a small nudge to tides already raised by weather and low pressure. Harbour authorities account for these effects in their forecasts.

If cloud blocks the view at moonrise, try again later in the evening. Breaks often appear behind a passing front, and the Moon’s altitude increases rapidly in the first hour, clearing low haze. A second attempt after supper can make the difference between a missed moment and a spectacular photograph.