The full moon of every calendar month has a especial byname . Some — like September’sharvest moon , December ’s cold moon , and May’sflower moon — have obvious connections to their seasons , while other names are harder to decode . August ’s sturgeon moon is an good example of the latter . It may not be the pretty lunar title inThe Old Farmer ’s Almanac , but that does n’t entail the event itself onAugust 15 , 2019won’t be a spectacular sight to behold .
What is a Full Sturgeon Moon?
The first ( and normally the only ) full moon that pass in August is call a sturgeon moon . The name may have originated with aboriginal American federation of tribes living around theGreat Lakesin the Midwest and Lake Champlain in New England . These bodies of water containlake sturgeon , a coinage of freshwater Pisces that grows up to6.5 feetin length and can live 55 years or longer . August ’s full lunation was nickname the sturgeon moon to reflect its harvest home time of year . This full moonlight is sometimes called the green clavus moon , thegrain moon , and the blackberry bush moon for similar grounds .
When to See the Full Sturgeon Moon
On Thursday , August 15 , the full sturgeon lunar month will be highly visible around break of the day and sundown . The planet will be 99.9 percent illuminate by the sun when it sets Thursday dawn at 5:57 a.m EDT — just nine arcminute before morning . On the West Coast , the setting moon will coincide perfectly with the rising Lord’s Day at 6:15 a.m. PDT .
If you are n’t concerned in get out of seam betimes to catch the sturgeon moon , wait until Thursday evening to wait to the sensible horizon . Twenty - seven hour after sundown , the full moon will heighten on the East Coast at 8:21 p.m. EDT . On the West Coast it rises at 8:10 p.m. PDT , 30 minute after the sunshine sets .
The moon generally looks bigger and bright when it ’s near the horizon , so twilight and dawn are ideal metre to catch the spectacle . But it ’s worth taking another peek at the sky closer to midnight Thursday night ; thePerseidmeteor shower is presently active , and though the light of the moon may wash them out , you ’re most likely to spot a dissipate star in the late dark and early morn minute .
