Full Moon Calendar 2026

When is the next full moon?

The Next Full Moon is on September 26, 2026, at 16:49 UTC.

Full moon dates 2026

Below is the complete full moon 2026 calendar, covering all 13 full moons with exact UTC times. Dates may shift by one day depending on your local time zone. US observers on Eastern time should subtract 5 hours from UTC (4 hours during daylight saving).

Note: The UTC time in the calendar marks the exact moment of full moon alignment. The moon looks full the night before and after too.

January 3 – Wolf Moon 🌕 Supermoon

The Wolf Moon is the first full moon of the year, named after the howling wolves that Indigenous peoples of the Northeast heard on cold winter nights. January 3’s Wolf Moon is also a supermoon, meaning it occurs near the Moon’s closest approach to Earth (perigee), making it appear slightly larger and brighter than average. It’s a strong start to the 2026 full moon schedule.

February 1 – Snow Moon

February’s full moon earned the name Snow Moon for obvious reasons: it falls during the heaviest snowfall months in North America. Some tribes also called it the Hunger Moon, reflecting the difficulty of hunting in deep winter. It peaks at 20:11 UTC on February 1.

March 3 – Worm Moon

The Worm Moon signals the thaw. As the ground softens in early spring, earthworms reappear – and with them, the robins. Some Algonquian tribes called this the Crow Moon or Sap Moon instead, marking the return of crows and the start of maple sugaring season. Peak: 11:39 UTC on March 3.

April 2 – Pink Moon

Don’t expect a pink sky. The Pink Moon takes its name from the wild ground phlox (Phlox subulata), one of the first wildflowers of spring in North America. It’s a regular full moon with no special astronomical characteristics, but it often coincides with Easter or Passover. Peak: 02:13 UTC on April 2.

May 1 – Flower Moon

May’s first full moon is the Flower Moon, named for the abundance of blooms across North America in late spring. It peaks at 17:24 UTC on May 1. This is also the first of two full moons in May – which means the second one, on May 31, earns the title of Blue Moon.

May 31 – Blue Moon 🔵

The Blue Moon on May 31 is the most talked-about full moon of 2026. It’s the second full moon in May, peaking at 08:45 UTC. Astronomically, it’s also a micromoon – the most distant full moon of the year, sitting about 252,360 miles (406,134 km) from Earth. That makes it roughly 7% dimmer than average. It won’t look blue. But it’s rare: monthly blue moons happen only about every 2–3 years.

June 29 – Strawberry Moon

The Strawberry Moon marks the brief strawberry harvesting season in northeastern North America. In Europe, it’s sometimes called the Rose Moon or Honey Moon – the latter giving rise to the tradition of June weddings and “honeymoons.” Peak: 23:58 UTC on June 29.

July 29 – Buck Moon

Male deer (bucks) begin growing their new antlers in July, which is how this full moon got its name. The Buck Moon is also sometimes called the Thunder Moon, reflecting the frequent summer storms of the season. Peak: 14:37 UTC on July 29.

August 28 – Sturgeon Moon

The Sturgeon Moon was named by Algonquian tribes who caught large numbers of sturgeon in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain during August. It’s also called the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon in some traditions. Peak: 04:19 UTC on August 28.

September 26 – Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox (September 22 in 2026). It’s one of the most culturally significant full moons of the year. Farmers historically used its bright light to work late into the night during harvest season. The Harvest Moon rises close to sunset for several nights in a row, giving the impression of a continuous glow – a result of the Moon’s shallow angle to the horizon in autumn. Peak: 16:50 UTC on September 26.

October 26 – Hunter’s Moon

The Hunter’s Moon follows the Harvest Moon and carries similar characteristics – it rises near sunset for several consecutive evenings. Hunters used this extra light to track and harvest game fattened over summer, stocking up for winter. Peak: 04:13 UTC on October 26.

November 24 – Beaver Moon 🌕 Supermoon

The Beaver Moon gets its name from the time of year when beavers were actively building their winter dams – and when trappers set their beaver traps before waterways froze. November 24’s Beaver Moon is a supermoon, appearing noticeably larger and brighter than a typical full moon. Peak: 14:53 UTC on November 24.

December 24 – Cold Moon 🌕 Supermoon

The Cold Moon closes out the year on Christmas Eve. It’s named for the long, cold nights of December in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s also a supermoon – and the closest full moon of 2026, making it the brightest of the three supermoons this year. Peak: 01:30 UTC on December 24.

Where do full moon names come from?

Most of the names we use today come from the Algonquian-speaking peoples of northeastern North America – tribes like the Ojibwe, Cree, and Mohawk. They used the lunar cycle as a practical calendar, naming each moon after what was happening in the natural world: animals, plants, weather, and seasonal tasks.

European settlers adopted many of these names, and they were eventually popularized by publications like The Old Farmer’s Almanac (in print since 1792) and the Farmers’ Almanac. Both almanacs have published standardized moon name lists since the 1930s.

Different tribes had their own names for each moon, and some names (like the Wolf Moon) may have actually originated in England and been brought over by settlers. The harvest moon is a good example of a name that crosses cultures. It appears in English, German, and Chinese traditions.

Sources

• Royal Observatory Greenwich – Full Moon Calendar 2026
• Farmers’ Almanac – Full Moon Dates and Times
• Sky & Telescope – Native American Full Moon Names