October 31, 2025: Many expect a full moon on Halloween night, but this year’s moon is a waxing gibbous, bright yet shy of full. Learn why the next Halloween full moon won’t arrive until 2039 and what to look for beside the moon tonight.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:22 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 5:46 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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Halloween Full Moon?
Many people expect a full moon on Halloween night. The image is part of the season’s lore — a bright orb rising above leafless trees and dimly lit streets. In reality, the moon is rarely full on October 31. This year, it is a waxing gibbous, bright but not yet at its full phase. Someone will likely call it a full moon. The evening scene still fits the season, with moonlight washing across pumpkins, costumes, and long autumn shadows.
The next Halloween full moon occurs in 2039. Moon phases repeat on the same calendar date every 19 years. Such moons are also Blue Moons — the second full moon during the same month. The first one occurs on October 1.
Some may call tonight’s moon full, but the actual mark occurs on November 5. It is the Beaver Moon.
Saturn and Moon in Southeast
After sunset, the lunar orb, 74% illuminated, is about 30° — one-third of the way from the horizon to overhead — in the southeast.
This evening, Saturn is nearly 20° to the moon’s lower left. The Ringed Wonder is not as bright as Venus or Jupiter. It currently appears dimmer than average because we are viewing its highly reflective rings edge-on. Sunlight reflects away from Earth, reducing its brilliance.
The moonlight obliterates any opportunity to see Neptune, which appears in the same binocular field with Saturn. Uranus’ view is greatly diminished as well, though a two-hour window opens before morning twilight begins after moonset. Another viewing window returns when the moon wanes to a crescent phase late next month.
Look for the gibbous moon tonight as it illuminates Halloween’s landscape.
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