Harvest Supermoon to Illuminate the Night Sky

October 6, 2025 | 11:10 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The first full moon of 2025, popularly known as the Harvest Supermoon, will grace the night sky on Monday, October 6. This phenomenon occurs when the Moon reaches its perigee, its closest point to Earth, making it appear perceptibly larger and brighter than a standard full moon.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) specified that the peak of this year's first supermoon will occur at 10:47 a.m. WIB (Western Indonesian Time), with the Earth-Moon distance shrinking to 361,458 kilometers. This alignment, where the full moon is closest to Earth and positioned opposite the Sun, increases its combined gravitational pull, thereby affecting tides.

The astronomical peak of the full moon's phase officially coincides with 11:48 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), which is 03:48 GMT on Tuesday, October 7, or 10:48 a.m. Jakarta time. At this moment, the Moon will be directly opposite the Sun in the sky and will be fully illuminated by direct sunlight.

The Harvest Moon and Optical Illusions

As cited from Space, the full moon in October is traditionally called the Harvest Moon because it occurs closest to the Autumnal Equinox. Historically, this timing provided extra moonlight, allowing farmers to work late into the night to harvest the last of their summer crops before the cold weather set in.

The supermoon phenomenon can be best observed as the Moon rises on the eastern horizon at sunset. Viewers, especially in places like the United States, may experience the moon illusion, an optical effect that makes the Moon appear significantly larger when it is near the horizon compared to when it is high overhead.

Within an hour after rising, the Moon may also take on a dramatic orange-yellow hue. This is caused by the scattering of light in Earth's atmosphere: the shorter, blue wavelengths of light are scattered away, while the longer, redder wavelengths remain visible, lending a warm color to the Moon's reflected surface.

Beyond the Moon itself, the planet Saturn will be visible, shining approximately 15 degrees to the upper right of the full moon as it rises tonight. Additionally, the four stars that form the Square of Pegasus constellation will be visible, creating a diamond-like pattern just above the Moon's disk.

BMKG added that the next supermoon events are scheduled to illuminate the Indonesian sky, particularly over the West Nusa Tenggara region, on November 5, 2025, at 8:19 p.m. local time and again on December 4, 2025, at 7:14 a.m. local time.

Editor's Choice: Indonesia's Highest Megathrust Risk: Mentawai and Sunda Straits

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News

7 Facts About the Viral Meteor Phenomenon Over Indonesia's Cirebon

25 menit lalu

BMKG Unveils Weather Forecast for Greater Jakarta Today

2 hari lalu

BMKG: M5.7 Earthquake Shakes Nabire, Papua

3 hari lalu

BMKG's Weather Forecast: Jakarta to Stay Cloudy Today, No Chance of Rain

3 hari lalu

Southwest Maluku Hit with M6.1 Earthquake, BMKG Reports

4 hari lalu

BMKG: Indonesia Braces for Local Rains, Extreme Weather in Early October 2025

5 hari lalu

BMKG Reports M6.5 Earthquake in East Java, No Casualties Recorded

5 hari lalu

M4.9 Earthquake Hits West Java This Morning, BMKG Reports

6 hari lalu

BMKG Forecasts Cloudy with Chance for Drizzle in Greater Jakarta Today

6 hari lalu

Indonesia's Highest Megathrust Risk: Mentawai and Sunda Straits

7 hari lalu