When is the Hunter's Moon in 2026?

The Hunter's Moon reaches full phase at 04:12 UTC on October 26, 2026, according to EarthSky. In North America that falls on the night of October 25: 12:12 a.m. EDT on the 26th, or 9:12 p.m. PDT on the 25th. It looks full on both the 25th and 26th.

Why is it called the Hunter's Moon?

In folklore, the Hunter's Moon is the full Moon after the Harvest Moon, which is the full Moon nearest the September equinox. In 2026 the Harvest Moon fell in late September, so October's full Moon is the Hunter's Moon. The name traces to hunting before winter by the light of rising moons.

What are the best camera settings for photographing the full Moon?

For a detailed Moon, start at f/8, ISO 100 to 400 and about 1/125 to 1/250 of a second, then adjust using your histogram. The Moon is sunlit, so it's much brighter than people expect. Use a tripod, manual focus, and a two-second timer or remote release.

What lens do I need to photograph the Moon?

The longer the better. At 200mm, the Moon is still small in the frame. At 400 to 600mm or more, it fills a good part of it. For a big Moon over a landscape, stand far from the foreground subject and use a telephoto, which makes the Moon look large next to it.

How do I photograph the Moon with my phone?

Use the phone's longest telephoto lens, tap the Moon to focus, then drag the exposure slider down until the surface shows detail rather than a white blob. Steady the phone on a tripod or wall. Many newer phones also have a dedicated Moon or telephoto mode.

When is the best time to photograph the Hunter's Moon?

Moonrise is best. Near the horizon, the Moon looks orange and appears large beside trees, buildings and hills, and the sky still has some twilight to balance the exposure. Check a moonrise time and direction for your location, and arrive 20 to 30 minutes early.

Why does the full Moon look orange when it rises?

Near the horizon, moonlight passes through much more of Earth's atmosphere, which scatters blue light and lets more red and orange through, the same effect that colors sunsets. Smoke, dust or haze makes it stronger. As the Moon climbs higher, it turns back to white.

Hunter's Moon 2026: Date, Time and How to Photograph It

Hunter's Moon 2026: When to See October's Full Moon and How to Photograph It (Camera and Phone Settings)

October 2026's Hunter's Moon is full at 04:12 UTC Oct. 26, the night of Oct. 25 in the U.S. Shoot it at moonrise with a telephoto at about f/8, ISO 100-400.

A large orange full Moon partly hidden by gray clouds, rising above a flat marsh with tall grasses in silhouette.

An orange Hunter's Moon rises through low clouds over the marshes of the Forsythe preserve in New Jersey on Oct. 17, 2024. File photo. Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

October's full Moon, the Hunter's Moon, is full at 04:12 UTC on October 26, 2026. That's the evening of October 25 in the U.S. (12:12 a.m. EDT on the 26th). The best photos come at moonrise, using a telephoto lens at about f/8, ISO 100 to 400 and 1/125 to 1/250 sec.

The Moon will look full on both October 25 and 26, giving two chances to shoot. Earlier in the week, the brightening Moon also sets about 2 to 3 a.m. during the Orionid meteor shower, so plan meteor shots for the pre-dawn hours.

Hunter's Moon 2026: key times

Time zone	Exact full Moon
UTC	04:12, Oct. 26
EDT (New York)	12:12 a.m., Oct. 26
CDT (Chicago)	11:12 p.m., Oct. 25
MDT (Denver)	10:12 p.m., Oct. 25
PDT (Los Angeles)	9:12 p.m., Oct. 25
GMT (London)	4:12 a.m., Oct. 26

U.S. clocks don't fall back until November 1, so daylight time still applies there. The UK returns to GMT on October 25, the day before.

Best camera settings for the full Moon

Shot	Aperture	ISO	Shutter
Moon detail (high in sky)	f/8	100–200	1/125–1/250
Moonrise with landscape	f/5.6–f/8	400–800	1/30–1/125, bracket
Moon through clouds	f/5.6–f/8	200–400	1/60–1/250

Check the histogram rather than the screen. The Moon is a sunlit surface, so it overexposes easily. Bracket exposures for moonrise scenes and blend them later if needed.

How do you get a giant Moon over a landscape?

Pick a foreground, such as a lighthouse, ridge, city skyline or tree.
Stand far back, sometimes a mile or more, and use your longest lens.
Use a planning app to line up the moonrise direction with your subject.
Arrive early and shoot as the Moon clears the horizon, while twilight still lights the landscape.

How do you photograph the Moon with a phone?

Switch to the longest telephoto lens.
Tap the Moon, then pull the exposure slider down until craters appear.
Brace the phone on a tripod, wall or car roof.
Avoid heavy digital zoom, which smears detail.

What gear helps most?

A telephoto lens (200mm or longer; 400–600mm for frame-filling shots)
A sturdy tripod and remote release
Image stabilization off when on a tripod

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