Full Moon Calendar

About these names

The month names are the ones almanacs have published for generations — Wolf in January, Snow in February, Worm in March, and so on. They are traditional, not astronomical, and lists differ between sources.

Two names are not fixed to a month at all. The Harvest Moon is whichever full moon falls nearest the September equinox, which puts it in October about one year in three — and when it does, the Hunter's Moon moves along to the next one. This calendar computes that from the equinox rather than assuming it.

Supermoon has no formal definition. It describes a full moon happening near perigee, the moon's closest point to Earth, which makes it look a little bigger and brighter than average. The flag here uses the widely quoted 360,000 km threshold; the distance for every full moon is in the table so you can judge for yourself.

Full moons and the tides

A full moon lines the sun and moon up with the Earth, which tends to produce the largest difference between high and low water — a spring tide. When a full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach, coastal areas can see some of the highest predicted tides of the year. Local conditions still govern what actually happens at a given beach, so check a real prediction: tide times and charts.

Full moon FAQ

When is the next full moon? August 28, 2026 at 04:18 UTC. The page converts that to your own time zone when it loads.

Why do full moons have names? The names in common use — Wolf, Snow, Worm, Pink and so on — come from traditional North American and European almanac calendars that tracked the year by moons rather than months. They are folklore, not astronomy, and different sources use slightly different lists.

What is a Harvest Moon? The full moon falling closest to the September equinox. That is usually September's, but roughly one year in three it lands in October instead — and then October's usual name, the Hunter's Moon, shifts to the following full moon. This calendar works it out from the actual equinox rather than assuming September.

What is a Blue Moon? In the definition in general use today, the second full moon in a single calendar month. It happens about every two and a half years, because a 29.5-day cycle fits inside most months with a few days to spare. An older, seasonal definition instead calls the third of four full moons in one season a blue moon. Neither has anything to do with colour.

What is a supermoon? An informal term for a full moon that happens near the moon's closest approach to Earth, so it looks slightly larger and brighter. There is no official definition; this calendar flags full moons within 360,000 km, a commonly used threshold.