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The full 'Corn Moon' rises this week — bringing a 'blood moon' lunar eclipse to most of the world
The Northern Hemisphere's final full moon will be totally eclipsed in some parts of the world. Here's how to see September's full Corn Moon rise.
The final full moon of the Northern Hemisphere's summer will occur on Sunday, Sept. 7, and the best time to see it will be later that day as it rises in the east at dusk.
Although it's often called the Harvest Moon, September's full moon is named the Corn Moon this year. That's because the closest full moon to the equinox on Sept. 22 is traditionally called the Harvest Moon, and this year, that's October's full moon (rising Oct 6). This switch-up happens every three years, according to Time and Date.
Other names for September's full moon include the Wine Moon, the Song Moon and the Barley Moon, while Anishinaabeg people call the September moon "Wabaabagaa Giizis," which means the "Changing Leaves Moon," according to the Center for Native American Studies.
Although the moon will be officially full at 2:10 p.m. EDT (18:10 UTC) on Sept. 7, a full moon is best observed as it rises in the east shortly after the sun has set in the west. This month, that happens a few hours after the moon has become full, with the Corn Moon rising a few minutes after sunset across North America.
This year's Corn Moon is also a total lunar eclipse for viewers in some areas of the world. From Australia, Asia, Africa and parts of Europe, a "blood moon" will be visible for 82 minutes — the longest total lunar eclipse since Nov. 8, 2022. It will be almost identical to the total lunar eclipse seen in North America for 65 minutes on March 14, 2025. However, the Sept. 7 eclipse will occur before moonrise in North America.
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You can look at the full moon without any optical aids, but if you catch it at moonrise, stargazing binoculars and backyard telescopes can help reveal details on the lunar surface that are not visible to the naked eye. As the full moon rises, its glare increases significantly, making it difficult to view the moon directly.
The following evening, on Monday, Sept. 8, the waning gibbous moon will have Saturn close by. The ringed planet will be particularly bright because it reaches its annual opposition — when it's closest to Earth — on Sept. 20.
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After September's Corn Moon, the next full moon will be the Harvest Moon, which will turn full on Monday, Oct. 6.
Jamie Carter is a Cardiff, U.K.-based freelance science journalist and a regular contributor to Live Science. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners and co-author of The Eclipse Effect, and leads international stargazing and eclipse-chasing tours. His work appears regularly in Space.com, Forbes, New Scientist, BBC Sky at Night, Sky & Telescope, and other major science and astronomy publications. He is also the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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