What makes a Harvest Moon a Harvest Moon? Is it really bigger, brighter or yellower than other full moons? This year, it’ll fall on September 26. In this video, Deborah Byrd explores the science and folklore behind the Harvest Moon. And are there visible planets near the moon? Watch here or on YouTube.
The bright September full moon – the Harvest Moon, or full moon closest to the autumn equinox – will float near Saturn in the sky around the nights of September 24 to 28. Chart via EarthSky.
Late September visible planets: Evening, Northern Hemisphere
The late September evening sky features 2 visible planets: Mercury and Venus. Both are low in the west after sunset. But only one — Venus — is easy to see from Earth’s Northern Hemisphere. And Venus is currently at its greatest brilliancy, a blazing eerie light low in the western twilight. Meanwhile, Mercury will be at its greatest distance from the sun on October 12. But, for us on the northern half of Earth’s globe, Mercury’s distance from the sun is nearly all sideways along our western horizon. So it’s tough! But, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, this is your best evening view of Mercury all year. Chart via EarthSky.
Our charts are mostly set for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. To see a precise view — and time — from your location, try Stellarium Online.
September 28 evening: Moon near Pleiades
The bright waning gibbous moon will float near the Pleiades star cluster on the evening of September 28. Chart via EarthSky.
September 29 and 30 evenings: Moon near Pleiades
Late on the evenings of September 29 and 30, the waning gibbous moon will visit the Pleiades star cluster. The fiery eye of Taurus the Bull, Aldebaran, will shine nearby. Chart via EarthSky.
October 1 evening: Moon near Capella, Aldebaran and the Pleiades
In the late evening of October 1, the rising waning gibbous moon will lie near the ruddy star Aldebaran with the bright golden star Capella shining above it. The Pleiades star cluster is also nearby. You can see them through dawn the next morning. Chart via EarthSky.
October visible planets: Morning, Northern Hemisphere
The October morning sky features 3 bright planets that you can see before dawn. The brightest — Jupiter — is visible before dawn and follows red Mars across the sky. And Saturn is setting in the west. In fact, it’s been visible all night and at its brightest for the year — when it will reach opposition — on October 4. Chart via EarthSky.
October visible planets: Evening, Northern Hemisphere
The evening sky in early October features 3 planets: Brilliant Venus is beckoning low in the western twilight. Meanwhile, Mercury will be at its greatest distance from the sun on October 12. But, for us on the northern half of Earth’s globe, Mercury’s distance from the sun keeps it low as it skims along our western horizon. So it’s tough to see! But, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, this is your best evening view of Mercury all year. And bright Saturn is rising in the east. It’ll be at its brightest for the year this month. Both Venus and Mercury will slip away later in the month. Chart via EarthSky.
October 3 and 4 mornings: Moon near Mars and the twin stars of Gemini
In the early morning sky on October 3, the 3rd quarter moon will hang above Castor (the dimmer twin star) and Pollux (the brighter twin star) in Gemini the Twins. And the red planet Mars is nearby. On the following morning, the waning crescent moon is closer to Castor and Pollux and Mars. Chart via EarthSky.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mandy Daniels captured the last quarter moon on the morning of August 6, 2026. Thank you, Mandy! The moment of the 3rd quarter moon will fall at 13:25 UTC on October 3, 2026. That’s 8:25 a.m. Central Daylight Time. It’ll rise in the middle of the night and set around midday. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.
Saturn’s 2026 opposition comes at 12 UTC on October 4, when Earth will sweep between the sun and Saturn, placing the ringed planet opposite the sun in our sky. Saturn will be in an excellent place to observe through mid-October. It’s easily visible to the unaided eye all night. Right now it’s a bit brighter than usual – at its brightest for 2026 – at magnitude 0.3. In other words, at opposition (and always), Saturn shines as brightly as the brightest stars. Read about Saturn at opposition — when its closest and brightest in our sky — in 2026 here. Chart via EarthSky.
October 5 and 6 mornings: Moon close to Jupiter, Mars and the Beehive
In the early morning sky on October 5, the thick waning crescent moon will lie near Jupiter and Mars and nearly in front of the Beehive star cluster. Then on the next morning, October 6, the moon will move below bright Jupiter. The bright star Regulus is low above the horizon. Observers in parts of southeast Canada, most of the United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Azores, Cape Verde Island, west and south Africa can see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Jupiter at 10 UTC on October 6. Chart via EarthSky.
Our charts are mostly set for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. To see a precise view — and time — from your location, try Stellarium Online.
October 7 and 8 mornings: Moon near Jupiter and Regulus
Shortly before sunrise on October 7 and 8, the thin waning crescent moon will glow in the east below Jupiter and the bright star Regulus. Regulus is the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Chart via EarthSky.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Michael Flynn in Pine Mountain Club, California, took this image on September 26, 2022. Thank you, Michael! The zodiacal light might be visible before morning twilight for Northern Hemisphere observers in dark skies around the September equinox. Southern Hemisphere observers? Look for it as darkness falls.
October 8 evening: Draconid meteor shower
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Daniel Gauss captured this image on October 8, 2024, from New Mexico and wrote: “My only Draconid of the night, captured at peak time of 1:05 a.m. MDT. Bonus elements, Andromeda galaxy and the Milky Way.” Thank you, Daniel! The Draconid meteor shower will reach its peak in activity on October 8. Its radiant point — the point where meteors seem to originate — is highest in the sky in the evening. And, like every year, skywatchers are hoping for one of this shower’s very rare meteor storms, when hundreds or even thousands of meteors zip through the sky every hour. Typically, this meter shower produces only a handful of meteors per hour. The waning crescent moon won’t interfere this year with watching for Draconids.
October 10: New moon
NOAA’s CCOR-1 coronagraph aboard the GOES-19 spacecraft spotted the moon drifting through its field of view on its way to the August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse. CCOR-1 blocks the sun’s blinding face with an occulting disk so it can watch the faint outer corona for coronal mass ejections. The moment of new moon will fall at 15:50 UTC on October 10, 2026. That’s 10:50 a.m. Central Daylight Time in the Americas. New moons rise and set with the sun. Nights around the new moon offer the darkest skies. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze. Images via NOAA/ GOES.
Here’s a binocular view of Mars passing in front of the stars of the Beehive star cluster in Cancer the Crab on the morning of October 11. Look for red Mars between the bright stars Regulus, Pollux and Castor. Chart via EarthSky.
Shortly after sunset on October 13, the thin waxing crescent moon will float above the western horizon. The bright red star Antares is nearby. On the next evening, October 14, the moon will hang very close to Antares. It’s the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion. Chart via EarthSky.
October 15 and 16 evenings: Moon near Antares
Shortly after sunset on October 15, the waxing crescent moon will float low in the west. Lower on the horizon is the red star Antares. On the next evening, October 16, the moon will be higher above the horizon. Chart via EarthSky.
Our charts are mostly set for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. To see a precise view — and time — from your location, try Stellarium Online.
October 18: 1st quarter moon
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Amol Gaikaiwari took this picture on May 23, 2026, in India and wrote: “The moon was in its first quarter phase. It was roughly 51% illuminated, with half of the lunar disk brightly lit against the night sky.” Thank you, Amol! This month’s moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 16:13 UTC on October 18, 2026. That’s 11:13 a.m. Central Daylight Time in the Americas. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown.
The waxing gibbous moon will lie among the stars of Capricornus the Sea-goat on the evenings of October 19 and 20. They’ll set after midnight. Chart via EarthSky.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | James McCue of Jemez Springs, New Mexico, captured this Orionid meteor on October 22, 2023, and wrote: “I was shooting through the night, following Orion, hoping to catch a full spectrum Orionid. I was not disappointed. This one landed perfectly.” Thank you, James! The Orionid meteor shower should rain down its greatest number of meteors on the morning of October 21. The waxing gibbous moon will brighten the night when the radiant is highest in the sky, but it will set a few hours before dawn. So the best time to watch for meteors is in the dark hours before dawn. Under dark skies, you might see 10-20 meteors per hour.
October 23 and 24 evenings: Moon near Saturn
The waxing gibbous moon will lie near Saturn on October 23 and 24. They’ll set before sunrise the next morning. Chart via EarthSky.
Full Hunters Moon overnight October 25
As the sun sets on October 25, the bright full Hunter’s Moon will be rising in the east. The steady golden light of Saturn is nearby. The crest of the full moon will fall at 4:12 UTC on October 26. That’s 11:12 p.m. CDT on October 25 in the Americas. The moon will be highest in the sky in the middle of the night and will set opposite the sunrise on the next morning. Chart via EarthSky.
Our charts are mostly set for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. To see a precise view — and time — from your location, try Stellarium Online.
October 26 and 27 evenings: Moon near Aldebaran and the Pleiades
On the evening of October 26, the bright waning gibbous moon will lie near the Pleiades star cluster. On the next evening, October 27, it will lie close to the Pleiades star cluster. The brightest star of Taurus the Bull, Aldebaran, will shine nearby. They’ll be visible through dawn the next morning. Chart via EarthSky.
October 27 evening: Binocular view of the moon and Pleiades
Here’s a binocular view of the waning gibbous moon in the late evening of October 27, appearing close to the stars of the Pleiades star cluster. They’ll be closest at 2 UTC on October 28 (9 p.m. CDT on October 27). Chart via EarthSky.
October 30 and 31 mornings: Moon near Pollux and Castor
Before dawn on the last 2 mornings of October, the moon, nearing its 3rd quarter phase, will approach Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of Gemini. (Pollux is the brighter of the pair.) On October 31, the moon will shine by the 2 stars. Chart via EarthSky.
This chart is for the Northern Hemisphere. Brilliant Venus will hang low in the west shortly after sunset in early September. On September 1 and 2, it will lie in the bright twilight close to Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. They’ll be roughly 2 full-moon widths apart. By the middle of the month, Venus has moved away from Spica. On September 14, the crescent moon will be near Venus. And around September 18, Venus will be at its greatest brilliancy. By the end of the month, Venus will be quite low in the bright western twilight. Chart via EarthSky.This chart is for the Southern Hemisphere. Brilliant Venus will hang low in the west shortly after sunset in mid-September. And elusive Mercury will lie low on the horizon, with the bright star Spica between them. The moon will also float between them on September 12. Around September 18, Venus will be lower in the sky, and Mercury will be easier to spot. Venus will also be at its greatest brilliancy. Then, around September 25, Mercury will lie close to Spica. Chart via EarthSky.Saturn will lie in the east in the evening hours of September. It is in a lonely part of the sky as there are no bright stars near it. Chart via EarthSky.
September visible planets: Morning
Bright Jupiter will lie in the east shortly before sunrise in early September. By mid-month, it will be joined by Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. At the end of September, their gap will narrow as they climb higher above the eastern horizon. Chart via EarthSky.Red Mars will float near the stars Castor and Pollux high in the eastern sky shortly before sunrise in early September. By mid-month, Mars will move close to Pollux. Then, on September 25, Mars will line up with Castor and Pollux. Chart via EarthSky.
October visible planets: Evening
From the Southern Hemisphere, shortly after sunset in the first part of the month, Venus will shine brightly in the west. To its lower right lies the much dimmer Mercury in the bright twilight. The waxing crescent moon will visit Mercury on October 12, and Mercury is also at its greatest distance from the sun that evening. By the middle of the month, Venus has dropped close to the horizon, while Mercury maintains its height. Near the end of the month, Venus has disappeared. Mercury is still present but will appear less bright than it was earlier in October. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, Venus will slip away by mid-month and Mercury will be challenging to spot during this evening apparition. Chart via EarthSky.Saturn will be shining as a steady golden light in the east during the evening hours of October. It’s the brightest object in that part of the sky, other than the passing moon. It’ll be highest in the sky around the middle of the night and low in the western morning sky before dawn. Saturn will reach opposition so it’s at its biggest and brightest — when we fly between it and the sun — on October 4. Chart via EarthSky.
October visible planets: Morning
Bright Jupiter will lie in the east before sunrise in October. Above it is red Mars and below it is Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. By the end of the month, Jupiter and Mars will be closer to each other. Chart via EarthSky.
September stars
If you’re out stargazing on any September evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the evening sky.
If you have a dark sky, it’s easy to observe the edgewise view into our own galaxy – our Milky Way – spanning across the heavens. Need help finding it? Look toward the constellation Cygnus the Swan. You might know this constellation by its asterism, the Northern Cross. The Swan swims along the Milky Way. Its brightest star is Deneb, the Swan’s Tail. Additionally, the constellation Cygnus contains one of the most beloved double stars in the sky, Albireo, which appears blue and gold.The constellation Lyra the Harp is another summer favorite. It consists of a triangle and a parallelogram. Its brightest star is Vega. Then, look next to it for the famous Double Double Star, Epsilon Lyrae. It’s really 4 stars in all.On September evenings, the house-shaped constellation Cepheus the King lies upside down in the northern sky. It’s between the W shape of Cassiopeia and the Little Dipper, an asterism in Ursa Minor.
Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.
If you’re out stargazing on any October evening, look for these stars and constellations in the evening sky.
The house-shaped constellation Cepheus the King lies in the northern sky by the constellation Cassiopeia. Gamma Cephei, or Errai marks the peak of the roof of the house. And Errai is very near Polaris, the North Star.Find Algol the Demon Star in the constellation Perseus on autumn evenings. Perseus lies below the easy-to-recognize W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia.Although the Big Dipper is low on the horizon — or below the horizon — for mid-northern latitudes now, the Little Dipper is high in the northern sky. In fact, the Big Dipper is tough to spot on late October evenings because it rides so low in the north. As always, the 2 outer stars in the Dipper’s bowl point to Polaris, the North Star.
Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view — and time — from your location, try Stellarium Online.
Here is the sky dome view for September 2026. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar.Here is the sky dome view for October 2026. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar.
Bottom line: Visible planets and night sky guide: The Harvest Moon is coming up on September 26. Watch a video with Deborah Byrd to explore the science and folklore behind the Harvest Moon.
Meet Marcy Curran, our voice of the night sky on EarthSky YouTube. Check out her popular short videos in the Sky category on our YouTube channel. When she's not making videos, Marcy is an EarthSky editor, helping to keep our night sky guide up-to-date and just generally helping to keep the wheels turning around here. Marcy has enjoyed stargazing since she was a child, going on family camping trips under the dark skies of Wyoming. She bought her first telescope in time to see Halley’s Comet when it visited the inner solar system in 1986. She co-founded her local astronomy club and remains an active board member. Marcy taught astronomy at her local community college for over 20 years. She and her husband live in Wyoming, in a rural location, with an all-sky camera and super-good horizon views! And, they built an observatory to capture images of the night sky.
“I can sometimes see the moon in the daytime” was a cosmic revelation that John Jardine Goss first discovered through personal observations at age 6. It shook his young concept of the universe and launched his interest in astronomy and stargazing, a fascination he still holds today. John is past president of the Astronomical League, the largest U.S. federation of astronomical societies, with over 24,000 members. He's earned the title of Master Observer and is a regular contributor to the video series, “Global Star Party.” He has authored the celestial observing guides “Exploring the Starry Realm,” and “Carpe Lunam,” and “Take Your First Steps, an Introduction to Amateur Astronomy.” John also wrote for twenty years the monthly stargazing column, Roanoke Skies, for the Roanoke Times, and currently writes a bimonthly column, Skywatch, for Blue Ridge Country magazine. He has contributed to Sky and Telescope magazine, the IDA Nightscape, the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine, and the RASC Observer’s Handbook.
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
Kelly Kizer Whitt writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She's been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children's picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.
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