Full Moon Phase: Meaning, Next Dates and Rise Times
Phase 5 of 8, an exact instant
At full moon the Earth sits between the Sun and the Moon, so we see the whole lit face. It rises as the Sun sets, crosses the sky all night and sets at sunrise. Near the horizon it looks large and often orange, an effect of the atmosphere and of the way our eyes judge size. Each full moon carries a traditional name, from the Wolf Moon in January to the Cold Moon in December.
Tonight the Moon is a waning gibbous. Next full moon (showing UTC):
- Illumination
- 100%
- Moon age
- about 14.8 days
- Rises
- Around sunset
- Sets
- Around sunrise
Where to look: all night, opposite the Sun. Exact moonrise and moonset for your city are on the moon calendar.
Upcoming full moon dates
| Date and time (UTC) | Details |
|---|---|
| October 2026 | |
| November 2026 | |
| December 2026 | |
| January 2027 | |
| February 2027 | |
| March 2027 | |
| April 2027 | |
| May 2027 |
Each row is the exact instant of full moon; it is the same moment everywhere on Earth and the date can differ by a day between time zones.
What the full moon looks like
At full moon the Moon is opposite the Sun in the sky, so its whole Earth-facing side is lit. It rises at sunset, is highest around midnight and sets at sunrise, staying up all night. The exact moment of fullness is a single instant, but the Moon looks full to the eye for about a day on either side.
A full moon is bright enough to cast shadows and to wash out all but the brightest stars, and lunar eclipses can only happen at this phase.
Lore and folklore
Every month's full moon carries a traditional name, from the Wolf Moon of January to the Cold Moon of December, drawn from Native American, colonial American and European traditions that tied each moon to the season.
Folklore linked the full moon to restlessness, sleeplessness and strange behaviour, which gave us the word lunacy. Festivals worldwide follow it: the Mid-Autumn Festival, Vesak, Holi and the date of Easter all depend on a full moon.
Trivia
- Full moons near the horizon look enormous, but photographs show they are the same size as overhead; the moon illusion is in the mind.
- The full moon is about 400,000 times fainter than the Sun.
- A full moon at perigee, a supermoon, is up to 14 percent wider than one at apogee.
- Because it is opposite the Sun, a winter full moon rides high while a summer full moon stays low.
Gardening by the Moon
The waning half of the month, from full moon to new, is the traditional time for root crops, bulbs, perennials, pruning and weeding. The week after full moon favours carrots, onions, potatoes and other roots. See this month's planting calendar ›