Full moon & new moon in October 2027
Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 25 September 2026
October brings the Hunter's Moon on the 15th — in India, Sharad Purnima — and a new moon on the 29th that sits close to Diwali, making this one of the more festival-dense months of the whole lunar calendar.
Full Hunter's Moon · Sharad Purnima
- New York (ET): Fri, Oct 15, 9:47 AM
- Chicago (CT): Fri, Oct 15, 8:47 AM
- Denver (MT): Fri, Oct 15, 7:47 AM
- Los Angeles (PT): Fri, Oct 15, 6:47 AM
- London: Fri, Oct 15, 2:47 PM
- India (IST): Fri, Oct 15, 7:17 PM
- Sydney: Sat, Oct 16, 12:47 AM
- UTC: Fri, Oct 15, 1:47 PM
New moon: Fri, Oct 29, 9:37 AM ET
Distance at full moon: about 389,928 km (average ≈ 384,400 km).
In the sky
The full moon peaks at 13:47 UTC (9:47 a.m. Eastern), so it looks fullest on the nights of October 14 and 15. It is a little closer than average, and moonrises again come in quick succession on consecutive evenings, as with the Harvest Moon. The Orionid meteor shower, debris from Halley's Comet, peaks around October 21 in a mostly dark sky this year, since the waning moon rises late. Evenings now show the returning winter shape of Orion low in the east before midnight, a preview of the season to come.
Names and traditions
Sharad Purnima marks the end of the monsoon; kheer (rice pudding) is traditionally left out in the moonlight overnight, based on a folk belief that the full moon's rays on this particular night carry a nourishing quality — reported here as tradition, not fact. Diwali is set on the Kartika new moon (Amavasya) in the amanta reckoning; with the new moon at 13:37 UTC on October 29 (7:07 p.m. in India), Diwali 2027 is expected around October 29 — confirm locally, since some regions use the purnimanta calendar and observe the festival cycle slightly differently. The end of the Buddhist rains retreat (Pavarana) coincides with this full moon, closing the three-month Vassa period begun around Guru Purnima.
A practice for October
Sharad Purnima: moonlight sitting
Sit outside for fifteen minutes in the moonlight. The tradition regards it as the most cooling light of the year, a pleasant note to end a hot season on.
End the retreat vow
If you took on an extra practice at Guru Purnima, today is its traditional close — a good moment to notice what the extra discipline did or didn't change.
Diwali: one lamp
Clean the practice space and light a single lamp at dusk on the new moon, echoing the festival's central image without needing a full celebration.
Autumn transition: earlier bedtime
As days shorten quickly through October, shifting practice and sleep earlier tends to suit the season better than fighting the fading light.
Moon phases have no proven effect on health or mood; these are markers for reflection, as they have been in many traditions.