Harvest Moon & Draconids meteor shower expected in S'pore in early October

Missed the Blood Moon on Sep. 8? There are still several celestial wonders to catch for the rest of 2025, starting with the Harvest Moon on Oct. 7.

The Observatory at Science Centre Singapore (SCOB) has shared that the Harvest Moon will start rising in Singapore's sky around 7pm local time on Oct. 7, and should be at an easily appreciable height at around 8pm onwards.

The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest in date to the first day of autumn, which falls on Sep. 22 this year.

On that day, the lengths of day and night are the same, thus earning it the name "autumn equinox".

In 2024, the Harvest Moon appeared in Singapore on Sep. 18.

Viewing the Harvest Moon

According to SCOB, the Harvest Moon should be easily visible anywhere in Singapore on Oct. 7 as long as the skies are clear.

The SCOB recommends going to open public areas like the Marina Barrage, East Coast Park, and the Southern Ridges to get an unobstructed and potentially elevated view, complete with panoramic views of the city skyline.

No special equipment would be required as the moon will be visible to the naked eye.

As the Harvest Moon is a supermoon, which occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth, it will shine brighter and nearly six to seven per cent larger than typical full moons.

Viewing the Draconids meteor shower

Just the day after the Harvest Moon, Singapore can look forward to a meteor shower lighting up the sky.

The annual Draconids meteor shower, which is active in early October every year, is expected to peak this year on Oct. 8.

Chances of spotting it are best after 8pm that night, when the radiant point of the meteor shower is higher in the night sky, SCOB said.

The Draconids is created from a relatively small comet discovered in 1900. It occurs when Earth passes through the stream of debris left behind by the comet in its orbit.

The meteor shower has been relatively subdued in recent years, typically producing less than 10 visible meteors per hour under ideal conditions, according to SCOB.

Nonetheless, SCOB believes there is always a potential for a spectacular burst.

It advises observers to seek darker locations such as parks, beaches, reservoirs, or open spaces away from city lights.

As Singapore's weather conditions and frequent cloud cover can also affect the visibility of the shower, observers should also check the weather forecast for clear skies.

Like the Harvest Moon, the Draconids will be visible without requiring special equipment as long as the weather permits.

More supermoons

Apart from these two events, two other supermoons are expected in late 2025: the Beaver Moon on Nov. 5, and the Cold Moon on Dec. 4.

Both should similarly be visible without special equipment if skies are clear.

Top images from Lucy Tan/Facebook and Esmeray Ayla/Facebook