August's Full Moon Is Coming—Here’s What To Expect With 2024's Sturgeon Moon
Full moons have their fair share of lore. But you might also just think of a full moon as, well, a full moon. And while that is true, for the most part, there are special names attributed to different full moons. For example, April had a Pink Moon, June had a Strawberry Moon, January's full moon was called the Wolf Moon, etc. We'll explain exactly what that all means and when to expect the next full moon.
A full moon is known for lighting up the sky brighter than any other moon phase and is always a sight to see. In 2024, we have 12 full moons in total, including four supermoons. So, no matter when you look up throughout the year, there's at least 12 chances to see a full moon in 2024.
If you're also wondering how the moons get their names or when exactly the next moon will appear, read on for more details and a full moon calendar. Plus, everything you need to know about August's Sturgeon Moon, our first supermoon of the year.
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What Is The Sturgeon Moon?
The next full moon is August's Sturgeon Moon on August 19, 2024. This is the first of four supermoons we'll see in 2024 too.
As Farmer's Almanac notes, the name "Sturgeon Moon" comes from the lake sturgeon that inhabits North American freshwater, which they note was "once a critical food staple" for a lot of Native American tribes. August is a month when lake sturgeon are plentiful and easy to catch, which is a major reason behind this month's name.
If you're into astrology, August's full moon is in Aquarius. Astrology.com notes that this full moon will bring a lot of surprises and have some intense energy. You might be faced with some tough challenges and truths, but try to go with the flow and not be too stringent in your expectations. However, don't let your standards fall either. Practice patience with this full moon and all the curves it might throw at you.
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What Time Can You See August's Full Moon?
TimeandDate.com reported that the Sturgeon Moon comes out at 2:25 p.m. EST on August 19, 2024.
What Other Names Can the August Full Moon Have?
While "Sturgeon Moon" is the most used name for August's full moon, there are others as well. As we stated before, the Farmer's Almanac reported that this name comes from the lake sturgeon that was abundant during August in North America.
But other names from Native American tribes had to actually do with the crops and things that were ready to harvest. The Dakota called August's full moon the "Harvest Moon" and the Lakota called it the "Moon of the Ripening." The Anglo-Saxon name for this moon was "Grain Moon" and the Algonquin and Ojibwe tribes called it the "Green Corn Moon" or "Corn Moon."
Other names had to do with animals that were prevalent during this month or how hot it was in August (which is still the case today).
Here are some other names for August's full moon:
“Corn Is in the Silk Moon” (Ponca)
"Black Cherries Moon” (Sioux and Assiniboine)
"Plum Moon" (Shawnee)
“Feather Shedding Moon” (Passamaquoddy)
“Geese Shedding Their Feathers Moon” (Arapaho)
“Young Ducks Begin to Fly Moon” (Cree)
"Dry Moon" (Catawba)
"Drying Up Moon" (Cherokee)
"Hot Moon" (Tunica)
"Lightning Moon" (Neo-Pagan traditions)
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How Did the Different Moons Get Their Names?
North American Indigenous tribes didn't keep track of time by using months as we know them. Instead, they kept track of time by observing seasons as well as the lunar months. With full moons occurring once per month, each was given a name that was applied to the entire month and often correlated to the changing of the season. Some tribes defined a year as twelve moons and other tribes used thirteen moons. The extra moon was added every few years to keep the lunar calendar in sync with the seasons.
To differentiate between the different full moons of the year, Native Americans assigned each one its own unique name that went along with a specific meaning.
In January, the first moon of the year is the Wolf Moon because of the fact that it comes at a time when wolves would howl in areas where they lived. Other names that have been used for this first moon are Cold Moon, Frost Exploding Moon, Freeze Up Moon and Hard Moon because of the cold weather in many locations. Another example is the well-known "Harvest Moon," which comes in September or October (depending on the region you're in). This is because it was the time of year when crops needed to be harvested before winter came.
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Different Types of Full Moons
From the Farmers Almanac, here is the list of each of the full moons for 2024, along with the meaning of each one. After you see how the tribes went about naming the moons, their names make total sense.
January - Full Wolf Moon: It is said that this moon appeared when wolves were howling outside the villages.
February - Full Snow Moon: Since the heaviest snowfalls are typically in February, it was given the name Snow Moon. Some tribes called this moon Hunger Moon since hunting was difficult at this time of year.
March - Full Worm Moon: At the being of Spring, the ground begins to soften and earthworms start appearing.
April - Full Pink Moon: This moon was named after the pink ground phlox began to appear, which was one of the first Spring flowers.
May - Full Flower Moon: Flowers are in abundance during this month.
June - Full Strawberry Moon: This was a time when Algonquin tribes began to gather ripened strawberries.
July - Full Buck Moon: Bucks begin to grow new antlers at this time.
August - Full Sturgeon Moon: The sturgeon found in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were easily caught in abundance during this full Moon.
September - Full Harvest Moon: The time to harvest crops is usually happening during this time.
October - Full Hunter's Moon: With the leaves falling, it was a good time to hunt for game.
November - Full Beaver Moon: The Algonquin Tribes and the colonists both trapped for beaver at this time before the swamps froze.
December - Full Cold Moon: The nights become long and dark at this time and the cold temperature sets in.
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When Is the Next Full Moon in 2024?
We have 12 full moons in 2024 and the Sturgeon Moon is next. This full moon is on Aug. 19, 2024, at 2:25 p.m. EST.
Full Moon Calendar 2024
Here are the dates when you can view the monthly moons for all of 2024. And the four full moons from August through November are supermoons, meaning they are the biggest and brightest a full moon can get because they're the closest to Earth in its orbit. October's supermoon will be the biggest in 2024, according to Beaumont Enterprise.
Wolf Moon - January 25
Snow Moon - February 24
Worm Moon - March 25
Pink Moon - April 23
Flower Moon - May 23
Strawberry Moon - June 21
Buck Moon - July 21
Super Sturgeon Moon - August 19
Super Harvest Moon - September 17
Super Hunter's Moon - October 17
Super Beaver Moon - November 15
Cold Moon - December 15
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