The full moon rises over a wheat field in southern Alberta, Canada, on August 30, 2023. (Image courtesy of Getty Images, royalty-free)
The last full moon of summer in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on Sunday, September 7, and is best viewed later that day when it rises in the east at dusk.
Although the September full moon is often called the Harvest Moon, this year it is called the Corn Moon. This is because the full moon closest to the equinox on September 22 is traditionally called the Harvest Moon, and this year it is the October full moon (rising on October 6). According to Time and Date, this polarity reversal occurs every three years.
Other names for the September full moon include the Wine Moon, Song Moon, and Barley Moon, while the Anishinaabeg people call the September moon “Wabaabagaa Giizis,” which means “Moon of Changing Leaves,” according to the Center for Native American Studies.
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While the full moon officially occurs on September 7 at 2:10 p.m. ET (18:10 UTC), the best time to view the full moon is when it rises in the east shortly after the sun sets in the west. This month, that's a few hours after the full moon, and the Corn Moon rises a few minutes after sunset in North America.
This year's Corn Moon will also be a total lunar eclipse for skywatchers in some parts of the world. In Australia, Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe, the Blood Moon will be visible for 82 minutes — the longest total lunar eclipse since November 8, 2022. It will be nearly identical to the 65-minute total lunar eclipse seen in North America on March 14, 2025. However, the September 7 eclipse will occur before moonrise in North America.
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The full moon can be observed without optical instruments, but if you catch it during sunrise, stargazing binoculars and home telescopes will help you see details of the lunar surface that are invisible to the naked eye. As the full moon rises, its brightness increases significantly, making it difficult to observe directly.
The following evening, Monday, September 8, Saturn will be near the waning moon. The ringed planet will be especially bright as it reaches its annual opposition, the moment of closest approach to Earth, on September 20.
After September's Corn Moon, the next full moon will be the Harvest Moon, which will become full on Monday, October 6.
Jamie Carter, Social Link Navigator, Live Science Contributor
Jamie Carter is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor based in Cardiff, UK. He is the author of The Beginner's Guide to Stargazing and lectures on astronomy and nature. Jamie writes regularly for Space.com, TechRadar.com, Forbes Science, BBC Wildlife magazine, Scientific American and many other publications. He edits WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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