This Weekend's Chonky, Orange-Tinged Harvest Moon Above Oregon, Washington and Coast

Published 09/25/2026 at 7:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Manzanita, Oregon) – Above Oregon and Washington, this weekend hosts a massive show of lunar proportions in the sky. Well, it will seem bigger than normal. Above: Harvest Moon in Waldport.

According to OMSI astronomer Jim Todd, the Full Harvest Moon will take center stage in the night sky this Saturday, September 26, rising in the early evening and delivering one of the most striking lunar displays of the year.

Those in Washington, Oregon and their coastlines will see largely the same thing at the same time.

“You can start watching it low on the eastern horizon just after 6:48 PM,” Todd told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. “It will look like a large, deeply colored orange orb.”

Pacific Northwest Weather | Oregon, Washington, Coastline (see NW from space) |---| Washington Coast Weather |---| Oregon Coast Weather |---| Inland Oregon Weather

And there are other orbs to watch for: our solar system neighbors.

“While you watch, look out for nearby planets: Jupiter will shine brightly to the far left, and Saturn will be to the far right,” Todd said.

If you're in places like Bandon, Westport, Seattle, Madras, Silverton or Seaside, weather should be clearing up in most regions.

Moon above Manzanita: Oregon Coast Beach Connection

The Oregon coast and Washington coast are generally looking at breaks in the clouds but otherwise rather thick cover – so that may be a bummer.

Still, look for some wacky colors at moonrise.

Todd said the moon’s orange hue is caused by its low position in the sky. As the moonlight passes through a thicker layer of Earth’s atmosphere, blue wavelengths scatter while warmer red and orange wavelengths reach the viewer.

Its apparent size, however, is not a physical change. The familiar “moon illusion” makes the moon seem larger near the horizon because the brain interprets the distant landscape differently than the overhead sky.

The Harvest Moon carries a long history of seasonal significance. Farmers once relied on its bright autumn light to extend evening work during the harvest season. In China and Vietnam, the same full moon marks the Mid-Autumn Festival, a tradition dating back three millennia. Many Native American groups refer to it as the Corn Moon or Barley Moon, while in parts of the Southern Hemisphere it is known as the Worm or Sugar Moon.

Visitors can learn more about upcoming celestial events during Starry Night Live in OMSI’s Kendall Planetarium. The schedule is available at OMSI.edu. Anyone photographing the Harvest Moon this weekend is invited to share their images to OMSI's social channels.

Oregon Coast Beach Connection

Also approaching is the annual Orionids meteor shower. The shower will be active from October 2 through November 7, 2026. The Orionids typically produce 10 to 20 meteors per hour at peak, though exceptional years such as 2006 through 2009 reached rates of 50 to 75 per hour. Recent displays have been in the low to average range.

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