Stargazer’s Guide to October: Harvest Supermoon, Meteor Showers, and the Seven Sisters

How to See October 2025's Biggest and Brightest Night Sky Events

The days are definitely getting shorter. My daughter and I go out to the barn to take care of our horses, and in the summer, we usually leave around 7 pm with plenty of daylight left. Now, when we leave, it’s already dark.

Enjoying the Last Warm Evenings

I know winter is closing in, but we’re going to enjoy this last stretch of warm weather while we can. One of the only things I like about shorter days is having more time to enjoy the gorgeous night sky. And according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, there are some pretty amazing events happening this October.

October 6: Harvest Supermoon

Though I even took a class in college, I’m still very new to astronomy. At 19, I wasn’t very interested in space, so I had to look up what these events mean.

The Harvest Moon is the full moon that rises closest to the Autumnal Equinox, the astronomical event that marks the beginning of fall. Before modern equipment came along, farmers used the light of the moon to finish the last of the summer crops before cold weather set in. This year, it’s also a supermoon, which means it will look larger and brighter in the sky because it’s at its closest point to Earth in orbit.

A “supermoon” occurs when a full Moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point known as perigee. During every 27-day orbit around Earth, the Moon reaches both its perigee, about 226,000 miles (363,300 km) from Earth, and its farthest point, or apogee, about 251,000 miles (405,500 km) from Earth. - NASA

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, October’s full Moon appears on October 6, 2025, at 11:47 P.M.

October 8–9: Draconid Meteor Shower

October is a busy month of meteor showers. The Draconid Shower is a smaller event with only about six visible each hour, and the full moon will drown out most of what you’ll be able to see. But sky watchers can still catch a glimpse if they’re away from city lights and the sky is clear.

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October 20–21: Orionid Meteor Shower

If you’ve ever wanted to wish upon a shooting star, you’ll get your chance this October. Peaking on the 21st, the Orionids will shoot across the sky at 41 miles per second every three to five minutes, resulting in 20–30 meteors per hour.

This shower comes from the dust of Halley’s Comet. Halley’s was last here in 1986 and won’t return until 2061, but you can see the Orionids every October. The best way to watch is away from city lights between midnight and dawn. Experts suggest lying on the ground facing away from the moon and letting your eyes adjust to the darkness for about 30 minutes.

Read More: This Weather Folklore Predicts Snow as Early as October

If you’re a Hocus Pocus fan, you might remember that it was a full moon when the witches came back to life. A full moon only happens every 18 to 19 years on All Hallows Eve, but this year the moon will be a waxing gibbous, only approximately 70% illuminated.

Though studies have shown lunar phases don’t change human behavior, one study in 2013 discovered participants spent 30% less time in deep sleep and slept for about 20 minutes less during a full moon. They also had a decrease in melatonin production. The participants didn’t even know the scientists were studying the effects of lunar phases. Experts think these changes came from the “artificial” light of the moon sneaking into rooms at night. So, just keep your curtains closed tight and all lights off and you should be fine.

Read More: Fall Leaf Identification Guide

The Seven Sisters

The Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, is a star cluster and one of the most noticeable star patterns in the night sky. In fact, you can see if from almost anywhere on Earth. In Greek mythology, the sisters were the daughters of Atlas, a Titan who held up the sky, and Pleione, the protectress of sailing. Their names are Alcyone, Asterope, Electra, Celaeno, Maia, Merope, and Taygete.

Halloween also connects back to the Seven Sisters. In ancient times, pagans held rituals on Black Sabbath and All Hallows’ Eve when the Pleiades reached their highest point at midnight. Many believed the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest during this time. Spooky!

But we now know, stars, like our sun, are just big burning balls of gas that are far, far away.