The Harvest Moon rises this weekend! Here we’ll give you key timings for the rise of the Harvest Moon across the world’s major cities, plus some tips on how to make the most of it.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, 25–27 September 2026, the full Moon will rise in the sky shortly after sunset.
This is the Harvest Moon for the year because it’s the closest full Moon to the September equinox.
What that means is that the rise times for the Moon are roughly the same time over the coming nights, which traditionally meant a reliable source of moonlight over consecutive evenings for gathering the harvest.
Credit: Beautiful Fireworks / Getty Images
If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, the Harvest Moon will rise in the eastern sky around sunset and track across the southern portion of the sky, before setting in the west around dawn the following morning.
If you’re in the Southern Hemipshere, the Harvest Moon will again rise in the east around sunset, but then track across the northern portion of the sky, before setting in the west around dawn the following morning.
And if you observe the Harvest Moon on Saturday and Sunday, 26–27 September, you’ll spot a bright ‘star’ close to the Moon.
That star is actually the planet Saturn, which is currently approaching opposition, the best time to see the planet.
Illustration showing Saturn and the Harvest Moon together in the eastern sky, 26 September 2026. Credit: Stellarium
If you want to see the Harvest Moon this weekend, here are some quick tips:
The Harvest Moon rises in the east – get yourself a clear eastern horizon
Look to the east just after sunset
If you catch it coming above the horizon, it may look bigger and more orange than usual!
Watch it track across the southern sky (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere) or northern sky (if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere)
If you’re observing on Saturday or Sunday, 26–27 September, look out for planet Saturn near the Moon
As it’s the weekend, you might want to stay up to watch it set in the west before dawn
Harvest Moon 2026 – key rise times across the world
Region
City
Rise time
Europe
London
18: 26 BST
Edinburgh
18: 37 BST
Cardiff
18:39 BST
Dublin
18:50 BST
Belfast
18: 49 BST
Paris
19:20 CET
Berlin
18: 33 CET
Madrid
19:49 CET
Americas
New York
18:35 EDT
Los Angeles
18:40 PDT
Toronto
18:55 EDT
Mexico City
18:29 CST
Sao Paulo
18:12 BRT
Buenos Aires
19:06 ART
Middle East / Asia
Dubai
17:53 GST
New Delhi
17:54 IST
Tokyo
17:07 JST
Oceania
Sydney
17:29 AEST
Auckland
17:51 NZST
Africa
Johannesburg
18:02 SAST
Cairo
18:31 EEST
Nairobi
18:18 EAT
Yaoundé
18:01 WAT
Key timings for the Harvest Moon 2026 for cities across the world
Share your images, observations, sketches, drawings and poems about the Harvest Moon with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com