Full Moon Calendar 2026
Every full moon of 2026, computed from lunar ephemerides, with the traditional name and the one thing other calendars skip: what each moon does to your night sky.
| Full moon | Date & time (US Eastern) | Traditional name |
|---|---|---|
| 🌕 | January 3, 2026 at 5:03 AM ET | Wolf Moon |
| 🌕 | February 1, 2026 at 5:09 PM ET | Snow Moon |
| 🌕 | March 3, 2026 at 6:38 AM ET | Worm Moon |
| 🌕 | April 1, 2026 at 10:12 PM ET | Pink Moon |
| 🌕 | May 1, 2026 at 1:23 PM ET | Flower Moon |
| 🌕 | May 31, 2026 at 4:45 AM ET | Flower Moon |
| 🌕 | June 29, 2026 at 7:57 PM ET | Strawberry Moon |
| 🌕 | July 29, 2026 at 10:36 AM ET | Buck Moon |
| 🌕 | August 28, 2026 at 12:19 AM ET | Sturgeon Moon |
| 🌕 | September 26, 2026 at 12:49 PM ET | Harvest Moon |
| 🌕 | October 26, 2026 at 12:12 AM ET | Hunter's Moon |
| 🌕 | November 24, 2026 at 9:54 AM ET | Beaver Moon |
| 🌕 | December 23, 2026 at 8:28 PM ET | Cold Moon |
Using this calendar like an astronomer
The full moon dates above are really a map of the bad weeks. For stargazing, meteor showers, aurora hunting, and Milky Way photography, you want the opposite: the 10 or so nights centered on each new moon, which falls roughly two weeks after every date in this table.
The 2026 highlight: the Perseid meteor shower peaks August 12–13 with almost no moon interference: the best Perseid setup in years. The Geminids in December get a crescent moon that sets early. Both are prime trips to a dark sky site.
Aurora watchers: moonlight matters less than you'd fear for bright displays, but it erases the faint ones. Our live aurora forecasts factor the moon into every verdict automatically.
Full moon FAQ
›When is the next full moon?
The calendar above lists every 2026 full moon with its exact date and time (US Eastern). Full moon is an instant, not a day; the moon looks essentially full for a night on either side of the listed time.
›Why do full moons have names?
The traditional names (Wolf, Snow, Harvest...) come from Colonial American and Algonquin seasonal calendars, popularized by the Farmers' Almanac. They mark the month's character: the Harvest Moon is the one nearest the autumn equinox, which rises at nearly the same time several nights running.
›Is a full moon good or bad for stargazing?
Bad for almost everything except the moon itself. A full moon washes out the Milky Way, most meteors, and faint aurora. Plan deep-sky observing and meteor showers for the week around new moon, and note that the moon near full is actually the worst time to observe it even through a telescope, since the head-on light flattens all crater detail. First and last quarter show the most dramatic lunar relief.
›What is a supermoon?
A full moon within about 90% of its closest approach to Earth (perigee). It appears up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than a full moon at apogee, noticeable mostly in photos and in slightly stronger tides.