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Tonight’s supermoon is just the beginning of an epic celestial line-up

Taylah Darnell Taylah Darnell
Australia is in for an astronomical end to the year.

Get ready Australia, the first supermoon of 2025 is lighting up our skies tonight. Known as the harvest moon, it’s also the beginning of a months-long lunar spectacle, with several more celestial events on the near-horizon.

What is a harvest moon?

Supermoon/Harvest Moon Australia
The harvest moon gets its name from the northern hemisphere’s autumnal equinox. (Image: Dave Xu/Unsplash)

The harvest moon gets its name from the northern hemisphere, representing the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox. Its bright light once helped farmers work late into the night, gathering their crops in time for a new season.

Characterised by its fully formed face and luminous orange glow, the harvest moon is also classified as a supermoon. And yes, this is different from a regular full moon. Just like Earth orbits the sun once a year, the moon orbits Earth roughly once a month. During this 27-day journey, sunlight hits different parts of the moon as it moves, taking it from a thin crescent to a perfect sphere or a full moon.

A supermoon only happens when that monthly full moon is also at its perigee – the point in its orbit closest to Earth. Sounds a bit complicated, right? In simple terms, a full moon is when the moon appears fully lit, but a supermoon is when it’s fully lit and at its closest point to Earth making it look bigger and brighter – like tonight!

How to see it

Supermoon/Harvest Moon Australia
The moon appears at its largest near the horizon. (Image: Film Plus Digital/Unsplash)

When it comes to most astronomical events, the southern hemisphere (and Australia in particular) doesn’t have too much luck. But tonight, the scales are firmly tipped in our favour. The harvest moon will be very easy for us to see – as long as it’s not overcast. It will rise around sunset in the eastern sky and will be visible all night before setting in the west come sunrise.

While the moon will technically reach peak fullness around 3:45am on Wednesday, it will appear at its largest during dusk on Tuesday due to a phenomenon called ‘moon illusion’. This trick of the eye makes the moon appear bigger when it is low on the horizon compared to when it is high in the sky, a visual effect photographers should take full advantage of.

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Other upcoming celestial events

Supermoon/Harvest Moon Australia
Australia is in for a months-long lunar spectacle. (Image: Ganapathy Kumar/Unsplash)

Our night sky has truly taken centre stage this year, from meteor showers like Eta Aquariids and the Perseids to a breathtaking strawberry moon in June and our first blood moon since 2022. And while the harvest moon might be stealing the spotlight tonight, it’s just the beginning of an epic celestial line-up.

Over the next three months, multiple astronomical events will light up our skies. After tonight’s harvest moon, there will be not one, but two more supermoons this year – both named after seasonal events in the northern hemisphere.

On 5 November, we’ll be treated to the Beaver Moon. Its name is drawn from Native American folklore, a symbol of the busy beavers readying their homes for winter’s arrival. Come 4 December, the third and final supermoon of 2025 will rise. Known as the Cold Moon, it marks the arrival of the north’s coldest and darkest months. For us, it’s more of a farewell!

Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN)
C/2025 R2 (SWAN) was only discovered a few weeks ago. (Image: Adam Block)

But that’s not all. A recently discovered comet known as C/2025 R2 (SWAN) will be passing Earth this October. While you’ll need binoculars to catch a glimpse of its bright green glow and exceptionally long tail, it’ll definitely be worth it, as SWAN won’t be back for another 600 years.

The excitement continues into 2026, with another supermoon scheduled for January and a total lunar eclipse in March. Best of all, you should be able to catch every single one from your balcony or backyard. It truly is a great time to be an Aussie astronomy lover.

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Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to check out places like Scotland and North America, her favourite place to explore will always be her homeland.
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Exploring an icon: inside the massive upgrade to Broome’s famous Cable Beach

(Credit: Tourism WA)

    Lucy Cousins Lucy Cousins
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    With unhurried mornings, long, sun-filled afternoons, evenings shaped around sunset, this iconic beach offers an all-day experience (and it’s about to get even better).

    As the sun slowly rises over the languid waves and fine sand of Broome’s Cable Beach, the morning colours shift from rich apricot to pale gold and frosty pearl. Remnants of life reveal themselves in the subtle shadows – crab claw marks, towel impressions, footprints. Life here is unhurried, but don’t be fooled. This town is continually shifting like the desert dunes that surround it.

    And with a $75 million upgrade – offering easier and more inclusive access for people of all abilities – it’s getting even better.

    Cable Beach upgrade foreshore redevelopment stage 1
    Discover the Cable Beach redevelopment.

    The addition of comfortable and welcoming spaces has begun (and will continue). This means visitors will be able to spend longer enjoying this beautiful environment, while knowing that the upgrade will create a more environmentally protected setting that preserves the natural character visitors come for. Come sunset, soak it in all the better thanks to the already improved foreshore areas, made for lingering while the light changes. And for the kids, a new splash park and accessible dry playground will make it easy to while away the hours.

    Think you know what a day at this beach is like? Think again.

    Morning colours

    car on cable beach at sunrise
    Cable Beach comes alive after sunrise. (Credit: Tourism WA)

    As the sun colours the sky, Cable Beach shows signs of life (and not just the aquatic kind). Locals and visitors alike float in the cool water as it laps the shore, landlubbers explore the coast on foot, runners pace and beachside yoga classes bring quiet movement to the day.

    When the sky is blue and the sun is firmly in position, head down to the well-known Cable Beach House for a long, slow breakfast overlooking the ocean. Think fresh tropical fruit, eggs cooked your way and strong coffee in the warm morning breeze.

    Afternoon adventures

    camel train on cable beach in broome at sunset
    Join a camel train at sunset. (Credit: C J Maddock)

    When you’re ready to explore, carve a path along the Minyirr Park Trail – a gentle 1.5-2km track through coastal bushland with spectacular views of the dunes. Refuel at the nearby Spinifex Brewery for lunch with its low-key, outdoor beer garden. There’s even an outdoor playground if you’re travelling with young humans.

    Walk off your lazy lunch by watching (or joining) one of the beach soccer or volleyball games, or even try Silent Beats Broome – a silent walking disco through the dunes. Or book a spot on the famous camel trains, watching the sun drop below the horizon along the way. They’re a constant reminder of the fascinating history, landscape and cultural mix in this part of the country.

    Evening degustation

    server at Cable Beach Club
    Stop into the Cable Beach Club. (Credit: Tourism WA)

    As the day closes, watch the world-famous Cable Beach sunset from the appropriately named Sunset Grill at Cable Beach Club. This open-air terraced dining spot overlooking the beach is the kind of place where the view takes centre stage.

    While you sip on a lychee, lime & lemonade mocktail or a local beer, enjoy the bustle of life and nature outside as the day comes to an end.

    For dinner, nab a table at the Bali Hai Cafe, where they offer pan-fried crispy barramundi, Abrolhos Island scallops and deep-sea snow crab. When you’re ready for bed, check in to Pinctada Hotel Broome – a lush, tropical resort with palm-dotted gardens and a large, lagoon-style pool to cool off in.

    Beyond the beach

    Beyond the wide, open beach and never-ending sky of Cable Beach, there are many more reasons to visit North West Australia. These are just a few.

    Unmatched experiences

    Shinju Matsuri Festival's popular Long Table Dinner on cable beach
    Join Shinju Matsuri Festival’s popular Long Table Dinner. (Credit: Tourism WA)

    Engage with the history of the land and its people on an Indigenous cultural tour exploring everything from the local wildlife to the tastes of bush tucker. To understand the importance of pearling to this town, take a tour of Chinatown, or head outside of town to the live pearl harvests at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, one of Australia’s oldest pearl farms.

    Learn why Japanese pearlers were central to Broome’s pearling success and visit the largest Japanese cemetery in Australia, where 900 Japanese pearlers were buried – a testament to the risks and rewards of this dangerous profession.

    And book ahead every spring for when communal tables, freshly cooked local fare and festoon lighting fill the beach for the extremely popular Long Table Dinner on Cable Beach. It’s a highlight of the Shinju Matsuri Festival, along with the Floating Lanterns Matsuri, where you can personalise a lantern and gently release it into the sea to honour those you love.

    Dining discoveries

    Matso’s Broome Brewery
    Settle in for Matso’s famous ginger or mango beer. (Credit: Tourism WA)

    Further your culinary adventure at the laid-back Sunday Sesh at Matso’s Broome Brewery. Chow down on smoked crocodile or Aussie barramundi while kicking back to a local DJ as the heat of the day fades.

    For more tunes, the beautiful outdoor Bay Club at the Mangrove Hotel is a great choice for dinner with live music, DJs or an event that stretches on into the early hours. Still hungry? Pop by Johnny Sausage for Italian-influenced meals paired with impeccable wines.

    Natural beauties

    Gantheaume Point cabnle beach broome
    Experience the striking colours of Gantheaume Point. (Credit: Tourism WA)

    Avoid the crowds and head to Town Beach for a quieter vantage point to see the phenomenal Staircase to the Moon – a natural illusion where the rising full moon is reflected on the tidal flats, creating a shimmering ‘staircase’ stretching up to the sky.

    Just south of Cable Beach are the deep red cliffs and dramatic ocean views of Gantheaume Point, where 130-million-year-old dinosaur footprints can be seen, revealed at low tide. Or head to Roebuck Bay to visit the internationally significant wetlands, where vast tidal flats are home to shorebirds and coastal fauna.

    Between October and March, watch turtles nesting and hatchlings emerge from the sand. You’ll be holding your breath as they make their way down to the shoreline, ready to start their life in one of Australia’s most beautiful landscapes.

    For more on Cable Beach and Australia’s North West, visit australiasnorthwest.com.