The 2026 Corn Moon rises on 26 September and is also the Harvest Moon for the year.
The September 2026 full Moon will is known as the Corn Moon because September is the time of year when corn is traditionally harvested in North America.
And the September 2026 full Moon will also be the Harvest Moon, which is the name given to the full Moon closest to the September equinox.
Corn Moon explained
A full Moon is a wonderful sight and, long before the advent of artificial light, would have been a true celestial spectacle, a prominent feature of the evening sky brightening the sky once a month (or more) throughout the year.
As a result of the full Moon's appearance in the night sky every month, each full Moon has historically come to symbolise big events or changes in nature during the month in question.
And as such, each full Moon has acquired one or more nicknames over the centuries.
September's full Moon is known as the 'Corn Moon', because it appears at the time when corn was traditionally harvested in North America.
The September full Moon is also sometimes known as the Harvest Moon, but not always.
That's because the Harvest Moon is the closest full Moon to the September equinox, and so it may either fall on the September full Moon or the October full Moon.
In 2026, the Corn Moon rises on 26 September, 3 days after the September equinox on 23 September, making this year's Corn Moon also the Harvest Moon.
As you may have guessed, these informal Moon nicknames are just that: nicknames. They don't indicate that the full Moon will look different than any other full Moon of the year.
If you do manage to see the Corn Moon, share your observations and photographs with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
