Full moon in October

By Alexander Merz · Updated on 28 August 2026 · Details checked on 14 September 2026

Here you will find the exact date of the full moon in October – with the time for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the traditional name of the month’s full moon and the dates for the years ahead.

And if you want to see the Moon closer than with the naked eye: our buying guide for beginners explains which telescope makes sense to start with, what budget to plan for and which classic mistakes to avoid.

How the full moon sits in the sky in October

The October full moon already rides high across the sky again and stays visible for a long time. The clear autumn air makes it especially rich in contrast.

Hunter’s Moon – where the name comes from

The Hunter’s Moon always follows the Harvest Moon. Once the harvest was in, the fields lay bare, the game was easy to see and fat from the summer – the time to lay in supplies for the winter. It, too, still benefits from the shallow angle at which the Moon rises in autumn. The German name Gilbhart describes the yellowing of the leaves, Weinmond the grape harvest.

Almost all of the full moon names in common use today come from North America and were popularised by American almanacs. German-speaking countries had their own names for the months: October was called Gilbhart or Weinmond. Both traditions mean the same thing – an attempt to pin the course of the year to what is actually happening outdoors.

What else is happening in the sky in October

October brings two meteor showers: the Orionids around the 21st/22nd and the short but temperamental Draconids at the start of the month. The nights are long enough again for extended observing sessions.

Full moon in October: the dates for the coming years

The interval from one full moon to the next averages 29 days, 12 hours and 44 minutes. Because our calendar months are longer, the date shifts forward year by year – which is why the full moon in October never falls on the same date. All upcoming dates are listed in the full moon calendar, and our page on the Moon explains how the phases come about.

The dates that are actually worth it are often months apart – and easily forgotten. So you do not miss one:

Observing the full moon – an honest note

As lovely as the full moon is to the naked eye, in a telescope this is precisely the phase in which it is least interesting. Because the Sun shines straight down onto the lunar surface, the shadows are missing and craters look flat. You see considerably more a few days before or after full moon along the day-night boundary, the so-called terminator.

If you still want to look at the full moon through a telescope, you should use a moon filter, a grey filter that dims the brightness – without one the glare is uncomfortable. For 1.25-inch eyepieces the Apertura 1.25" Moon Filter*Omegon Premium Moon Filter 1.25″* is all you need (at $14.95€ 19.90) – spending more buys you nothing here. There is more on this in our buying guide to observing the Moon.

Clear autumn nights: the best way into telescopes: Skywatcher Dobson Telescope N 130/650 Heritage FlexTube

A compact tabletop Dobson with a true parabolic mirror. Folds down, fits in a bag: the Moon, planets and the bright deep-sky classics.

Price: € 265

View at Astroshop* →

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