Moon phases October 2025: Is there a full moon tonight?

Tonight's skywatching is significantly enhanced by a key astronomical phenomenon: the moon's arrival as a Supermoon.

UPDATED OCT 6, 2025

The 99.5 percent waxing Hunters Supermoon rises behind the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument as a flock of geese passes by on October 16, 2024 (Cover Image Source: Getty | J. David Ake)

For stargazers, tonight's sky viewing will be significantly enhanced by a rare astronomical phenomenon: the moon's arrival as a Supermoon, according to NASA. This exceptional alignment occurs because the moon is currently at perigee, its closest orbital point to Earth for the month. As a result, the lunar body will appear dramatically larger and brighter in the sky this evening, up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than an average full moon, making tonight a full moon night.

The Martin Lurther King, Jr. Memorial is seen in the trees turning fall colors as the Hunter's Supermoon sets behind the Arlington, Va. skyline early in the morning on October 17, 2024 (Cover Image Source: Getty | J. David Ake) — The Martin Lurther King, Jr. Memorial is seen in the trees turning fall colors as the Hunter's Supermoon sets behind the Arlington, Va. skyline early in the morning on October 17, 2024 (Representative Image Source: Getty | J. David Ake)

Full Moon tonight also carries the seasonal designation of the Harvest Moon, named for the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox. The moon will officially reach its maximum point of 100% illumination, the moment it sits precisely opposite the Sun, by midnight. The exact moment of fullness is set for October 7 at 3:48 a.m. UTC. For observers in North America, this translates to the late evening hours of Monday — 11:48 p.m. EDT or 8:48 p.m. PDT on October 6.

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The Full Moon tonight will dominate the night sky, rising in the east exactly at sunset and remaining visible until it sets in the west at sunrise the following morning. This event marks the culmination of the cycle, with the Moon being precisely 14.9 days old since the previous New Moon, according to Moon Giant. The time elapsed between one Full Moon and the next, known as a Synodic month, is measured with extreme precision at 29.530587981 days.

The natural satellite of Earth that has completed 13.76 days since the last New Moon, is currently visibly bulging, a shape historically denoted by the term "Gibbous." The full disk will be easily observable across much of the night.

The full Beaver Supermoon rises behind the Empire State Building in New York City as the sun sets on November 15, 2024 (Representative Image Source: Getty | Gary Hershorn)

During the October Supermoon, observers can pinpoint numerous significant geographical features on the lunar surface across both hemispheres, as per NASA Moon. Even the unaided eye can distinguish several prominent landmarks, Mare Imbrium and Mare Tranquillitatis, alongside Tycho Crater. These features are readily visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. For those using binoculars, the level of detail increases significantly, particularly allowing for closer views of the Mare Frigoris, the striking views of the Apennine Mountains, and the Grimaldi Basin. These regions are accessible to binocular users across the globe.

This is a sunrise view of Tycho crater's central peak taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (Image Source: NASA)

Finally, individuals with a telescope can examine even more subtle terrain. Recommended targets for tonight include the impressive Rupes Altai (the Altai Scarp), the historic landing site of Apollo 12, and the Schiller Crater. These high-magnification targets are observable from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.