2025 Full Moon Calendar: Dates, Traditional Names, Phases and What To Watch

The Full Moon occurs when Earth lies nearly between the Sun and the Moon, fully illuminating the lunar hemisphere we see. As the Moon orbits Earth, the angle of sunlight changes and produces the familiar sequence of lunar phases.

Full Moon Dates For 2025 (All Times Eastern)

Below are the 2025 Full Moon dates (Eastern Time). These are the standard full-moon dates used by astronomers and skywatchers; local observation times (moonrise/moonset) will vary by location and time zone.

• Jan. 21 — Full Moon
• Feb. 20 — Full Moon
• Mar. 22 — Full Moon
• Apr. 20 — Full Moon
• May 20 — Full Moon
• Jun. 18 — Full Moon
• Jul. 17 — Full Moon
• Aug. 16 — Full Moon
• Sep. 14 — Full Moon
• Oct. 13 — Full Moon
• Nov. 12 — Full Moon
• Dec. 11 — Cold Moon (December Full Moon)

December Sky Notes

The December Full Moon — commonly called the Cold Moon — is on Dec. 11, 2025 (Eastern Time). Around a full Moon the lunar disk is an excellent target with binoculars or a small telescope: low Sun angles near the terminator emphasize subtle color and texture on the lunar surface.

One interesting feature to seek is the large, dark-floored crater Grimaldi near the Moon's western limb. Grimaldi is roughly 107 miles (173 km) across and about 1.7 miles (2.7 km) deep; its smooth, dark floor and light ejecta streaks contrast with the rougher-floored crater Riccioli to the east.

Understanding Lunar Phases

The eight principal phases are: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent. The interval from one Full Moon to the next — the synodic month or lunar month — is about 29.5 days. Although the precise instant of fullness is a single moment, the Moon appears nearly full for roughly three days centered on that instant.

Traditional Full Moon Names

Many traditional names for Full Moons come from Native American and colonial North American naming traditions and reflect seasonal changes and natural events. Common names include:

• Wolf Moon — January
• Snow Moon — February
• Worm Moon — March
• Pink Moon — April
• Flower Moon — May
• Strawberry Moon — June
• Buck Moon — July
• Sturgeon Moon — August
• Corn Moon — September
• Hunter’s Moon — October
• Beaver Moon — November
• Cold Moon — December

Other Named Moon Types

Supermoon — A Full Moon that occurs near lunar perigee (the Moon's closest approach to Earth) and therefore appears slightly larger and brighter. Definitions vary; some sources use a percent-of-perigee threshold to decide which Full Moons qualify.

Blue Moon — Commonly defined as the second Full Moon in a single calendar month (roughly every 2–3 years). It does not imply the Moon's color under normal conditions.

Black Moon — An informal term used in a couple of ways, such as the second New Moon in a calendar month or the third of four New Moons in a single astronomical season. Because it is a New Moon, it is not visible from Earth (except during a total solar eclipse).

Harvest Moon — The Full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox; it often rises soon after sunset for a few nights in a row, producing extended evening moonlight historically useful to harvesters.

Full Moon, New Moon And Tides

The Moon's gravity pulls on Earth's oceans, creating tides. When the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned at New Moon or Full Moon, their gravitational effects combine to produce spring tides, which have higher high tides and lower low tides than average.

Local Times And Further Reading

Local moonrise, moonset, and exact times of moon phases depend on your location. The original article included example rise/set times for 40° N, 90° W; for specific local times consult a reliable almanac, planetarium software, or observatory websites for up-to-date, location-specific information.

Note: The earlier draft contained conflicting dates and times for several phase events. The Full Moon dates above are the standard astronomical Full Moon dates for 2025. For information about potential Supermoons or precise perigee timings, check current astronomical resources such as observatory websites or ephemerides.