October 6, 2025: The 2025 Harvest Moon shines brightly tonight, marking the first Full moon of autumn. Watch its changing separation from Saturn, while Venus and Jupiter gleam before sunrise.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:53 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 6:23 p.m. CDT. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
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Changing Daylight
Daylight rapidly disappears at mid-northern latitudes. At Chicago’s latitude today, daylight lasts 11 hours and 30 minutes.
Morning Moon and Saturn
As the moon reaches the first Full moon of autumn, this year’s Harvest Moon, it opens a larger gap with Saturn after their close pairing last evening. Two hours before daybreak, find the lunar orb low in the western sky, 6.0° to Saturn’s upper right. After sunset this evening, look for them again and notice how their separation has changed.
The moonlight affects the visibility of dim Neptune and Uranus. Along with twilight and streetlight, their view is challenging, if not impossible. Visibility improves when the moon returns to the crescent phase.
Jupiter
Jupiter is farther eastward. At 45 minutes before daybreak, the Jovian Giant is high in the southeast near Pollux, one of the Gemini Twins. It is the second brightest starlike body in the sky this morning, after brilliant Venus.
Venus
At this hour, the Morning Star is less than 15° above the eastern horizon, to Jupiter’s lower left. Venus steps eastward in front of Leo, 10.9° to Denebola’s lower right, the Lion’s tail. Tomorrow, the planet passes this star in a wide conjunction. The next morning, it crosses in front of Virgo.
Regulus, Leo’s brightest star, is over 20° to Venus’ upper right.
Keen-eyed sky watchers are likely noticing that Venus appears farther southward each morning. Its rising point is shifting southward, rising south of east beginning on the 18th.
After sunset, Mercury and Mars are obscured by western evening twilight.
Harvest Moon
Tonight is the Harvest Moon, the Full moon occurring closest to the autumnal equinox. Its date varies because the 29.5-day lunation completes 12.4 cycles during a calendar year.
Here are the dates of the next five Harvest Moons:
- September 26, 2026
- September 15, 2027
- October 3, 2028
- September 22, 2029 (11:29 a.m. CDT); Autumnal Equinox (12:38 p.m. CDT)
- September 11, 2030
Traditionally, the Full moon near the equinox aided in collecting crops from the fields. Its bright light created extra hours for working outside without artificial illumination.
After sunset tonight, this seasonal Full moon is nearly 15° up in the east, over 15° to Saturn’s lower left, a considerable gap from this morning and last night’s close pairing.
During the night, the moon appears farther westward as Earth rotates. It passes opposite the sun at 10:48 p.m. Central Time. Around midnight, it is in the southern sky. During morning twilight, it is in the western sky.
Look for the Full Harvest Moon during the nighttime hours. Venus and Jupiter continue to gleam in the eastern sky before sunrise.
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