Almanac

The sky over the garden.

What farmers, anglers and gatherers have always watched: the moon, the sun and the turning of the season. Updated hourly; sun times use the last place you looked up.

Tonight's moon

Waning Crescent

10% illuminated · waning · day 26 of 29

Solunar fishing rating: good

Next full moon

Harvest Moon

Sat, Sep 26 · in 18 days

Next new moon

Fri, Sep 11 · in 3 days

Season

Fall equinox

Tue, Sep 22 · in 14 days

Day 251 of the year

Planting by the moon

Last quarter to new: a resting phase — weed, prune, harvest, turn compost and prepare beds.

A tradition, not a science — but it spaces your sowings sensibly across the month, which is most of the benefit.

Coming up

Moon phases, next six weeks

  • New Moon

    Fri, Sep 11

  • First Quarter

    Sat, Sep 19

  • Harvest Moon

    Full Moon · Sat, Sep 26

  • Last Quarter

    Sun, Oct 4

  • New Moon

    Sun, Oct 11

  • First Quarter

    Sun, Oct 18

The full moons of the year

Traditional North American names, each tied to what the land was doing that month.

  • Jan Wolf Moon
  • Feb Snow Moon
  • Mar Worm Moon
  • Apr Pink Moon
  • May Flower Moon
  • Jun Strawberry Moon
  • Jul Buck Moon
  • Aug Sturgeon Moon
  • Sep Harvest Moon
  • Oct Hunter's Moon
  • Nov Beaver Moon
  • Dec Cold Moon

Why anglers watch the moon

The solunar theory holds that fish and game feed most when the moon is overhead or underfoot, and hardest around the new and full moons when sun and moon pull together. It is not a guarantee, but it is a good tie-breaker for choosing a day, and low light at dawn and dusk remains the surest bet. Your local fishing guide folds the day's rating into its advice.

The Weekly Field Note

Moon, frost and what's in season near you. One email, Sunday evening.