SPACE • SKYWATCHING • OCTOBER 23, 2026
Hunter’s Moon 2026: When to Watch
A Sunday-evening skywatching opportunity—with the date translated into your local time.
For Reno: Sunday, October 25
The U.S. Naval Observatory lists the full Moon at 04:12 Universal Time on Monday, October 26, 2026. In Reno, that instant falls on Sunday, October 25, at 9:12 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. The different calendar dates describe the same moment.
| Time zone | Full-moon instant |
|---|---|
| Universal Time (UT) | Monday, October 26, 04:12 |
| Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) | Monday, October 26, 12:12 a.m. |
| Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), including Reno | Sunday, October 25, 9:12 p.m. |
A simple viewing plan
Plan an outing on Sunday evening, October 25. Choose a safe spot with an open eastern horizon and begin looking around sunset, then continue as the Moon climbs. Nearby mountains, buildings and clouds can delay or block your first view; check a local moonrise listing and weather forecast before heading out.
You do not need a telescope. Enjoy the Moon with your eyes, or use binoculars for a closer look. The exact full-moon instant is an astronomical marker, rather than a brief viewing window: you can enjoy the bright Moon earlier or later that evening.
Why “Hunter’s Moon”?
NASA’s October skywatching guide identifies this full Moon as the Hunter’s Moon. The traditional name is associated with autumn hunting and the use of moonlight after harvested fields had become bare. It is a seasonal name, rather than a separate kind of Moon.
Sources and timing note
- U.S. Naval Observatory: October 2026 lunar phases — the timing reference used here.
- NASA: October 2026 skywatching and the Hunter’s Moon.
Some summaries give 04:11 UT. This guide uses the Naval Observatory’s published 04:12 UT value. Neither figure is a local moonrise time.