The August full moon is here and it rises Monday, August 19!
The August full moon is most widely known as the “Sturgeon” moon. This name stems from Native American Tribes along the Great Lakes, which were in the throes of catching this giant fish in large quantities this time of year. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, it is also known as the Corn Moon, Harvest Moon, and Black Cherries Moon, depending on which area of the country the name came from.
This will be a “super” moon, the first of the year. A supermoon occurs when the moon is at or near the closest point of its orbit to the Earth, known as Perigee. This only occasionally falls on the date of the actual full moon. Tonight’s full moon will be the first “supermoon” of the year and will cause the moon to appear slightly bigger and about 30% brighter. This can lead to some exaggerated examples of the Horizon Effect, where the moon appears significantly larger when viewed along the horizon. Fortunately, skies will likely cooperate for most of us this evening so be sure to be outside a few minutes after the moon rises at around 8:35 p.m.
Tonight’s full moon is also a Blue Moon. There are a couple of different definitions of what a Blue Moon is, but if you go back to the original definition, it is the 4th full moon of a season. The summer season is divided into the months of June, July, and August, according to the lunar calendar. Tonight makes the 4th full moon since June 1, so technically a Blue Moon. The modern definition of two full moons in a calendar month is much more common.
Remember, the moon rises just a bit after 8:30, so get outside, enjoy the lower humidity, and take a peek at the Sturgeon Moon!
