When and how to see the Harvest Moon in 2026

Image source, Jeff Overs/BBCSeptember's full Moon will be visible in UK skies this weekend, just days after the autumn equinox.Known as the Harvest Moon, it will reach its fullest point at 17:49 BST on Saturday 26 September.At that time it will still be below the horizon for much of the UK, but it will rise shortly afterwards and appear almost completely full throughout Saturday evening.It gets its name from being the full Moon closest to the autumn equinox, which this year took place on Wednesday.Why is it called the Harvest Moon?September's full Moon is traditionally associated with the harvest, because historically, the additional moonlight after sunset was useful to farmers gathering crops.The Royal Observatory Greenwich also lists the Corn Moon as another common name, reflecting the crops traditionally harvested around this time of year.However, it does not always fall in September and if October's full Moon is closer to the autumn equinox, it takes the title instead.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The 2025 Harvest Moon, seen here rising over the City of London, was on 7 October Why can the Harvest Moon look red?If you catch the Moon as it rises it may appear yellow, orange or even reddish.This is not a special feature of the Harvest Moon, but simply that when it lies low in the sky and is close to the horizon, its light has to travel through more of the Earth's atmosphere before reaching our eyes.More of the shorter blue wavelengths of light are scattered, allowing the yellows, oranges and reds to become more prominent.Image source, GettyImage caption, A pilot boat passes the rising Harvest Moon in 2021 off Swanpool Beach, FalmouthWill the weather be clear enough to see it?The current forecast suggests Saturday could bring some drier and brighter weather, particularly across parts of England. However, there is some cloud further west and rain for parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland by the evening.The best chance of clearer skies currently looks to be across some southern and eastern parts of the UK, while conditions are expected to be more changeable elsewhere.The exact times of the moonrise will vary across the UK but will be shortly after it reaches its fullest point.Keep up to date with the weather where you are online or on the BBC Weather app.More on this story