August Full Moon

The August Full Moon is generally known as the Sturgeon Moon. It’s a peculiar name given by the Native Americans. This Full Moon will reach its peak on the night of August 3, 2020.

This month the Last Quarter phase of the Moon will be accompanied by the Perseid Meteor Shower. Let’s find out where this Sturgeon Moon got its name from, what other names it has, its spiritual meanings, and its phases. 

August Full Moon Names 

From immemorable times, Europeans and the Native American civilizations used the Moon phases to track seasons. They used the lunar calendar, which is 11 days shorter than the solar calendar. The names they gave to each month’s Moon is in close relation with nature.

Generally, this lunar month is known as the Sturgeon Moon. The name was given by the Algonquin tribes, in North America, because of the large number of fish in the lakes. 

Their fishing territories were the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, which were rich in sturgeons this time of year. This Full Moon is also known as the Full Green Corn Moon, meaning that the corn was almost ready to harvest. 

Wheat Cut Moon, Blueberry Moon, and the Moon When All Things Ripen are also names given for this Full Moon. 

Moon Phases for August 2020 

This year August’s first day will be on a Saturday, and the Moon will be at Waxing gibbous phase. Its visibility will be at 95%.

The next night the Full Moon will rise. Its maximum illumination will be reached on the 3rd and will last until the 4th.

The Full Moon is followed by the waning gibbous phase, which will last until August 9. Visibility starts to fade at this phase. 

The Last Quarter starts on the 10th and lasts for three nights.

On August 13, the Moon will enter its Waning crescent phase. Visibility will decrease to 4% on the 17th.

The New Moon will last only two days, on the 18th and 19th. Its illumination will be at only 1%. From the 20th, the Moon will increase its visibility, entering the Waxing crescent phase. The last night of this phase will be the 23rd.

For the next three nights, the Moon will be in its First Quarter. The maximum visibility of this phase will be at 59%. The last five nights of August are marked by the Waxing gibbous phase of the Moon. The Moon’s visibility on the 31st will be at 98%. 

The Sturgeon Moon Spiritual Meaning 

Each Full Moon has its personality, but this one is extraordinary. It will rise on August 3 in the sign of Aquarius. It will activate your intuition and will make you listen to your unspoken desires.

Uranus is the celestial ruler of Aquarius, and its themes are freedom and individuality. 

This month will awake the rebellious and humanitarian spirit in you. Uranus is the planet of unexpected change and chaos. Be sure that this Full Moon will illuminate what was not yet been acknowledged. 

The Sun also plays one of the most important roles at a Full Moon. It represents the masculinity in you while the Moon represents the feminine part. During a Full moon, they are opposite and may help you find the harmony between these two parts of yourself.

Perseid Meteor Shower 

The Perseids are considered to be among the largest meteor showers of the year. Between 50 to 100 meteors can be spotted per hour. This Meteor Shower has its peak in mid-August. As the meteors enter Earth’s atmosphere, they leave bright wakes of light and color behind. 

The most spectacular part about the Perseids is the fireballs. They are made from larger particles of cometary material. Their explosions are more colorful and last longer than a usual meteor.

For the Northern Hemisphere, the best time to spot the Perseids is at pre-down, but it’s not unlikely to see them at 10 pm.

A comet leaves a dusty trail every time it circles the Sun. 

On its way around the Sun, the Earth collides with these trails, which disintegrate in the atmosphere creating a colorful show. 

Is the Sturgeon Moon a Supermoon? 

Even though we astronomers studied Supermoons from the late ’70s, the International Astronomical Union has not defined it yet. But everybody agrees that a Supermoon occurs when the Full Moon coincides with the Perigee. 

A perigee is when the Moon is at its closest point from the Earth. The furthermost point from Earth is called an apogee. This happens because the Moon orbits the Earth in an elliptic way.

The year 2020 will have only three Supermoons in a raw, from March to May. August’s Full Moon missed the Perigee by much, so it cannot be named a Supermoon. 

What are the Full Moons of 2020?

In 2020 we will have 13 Full Moons, and some of them are Supermoons. Here is the list of when they will occur:

  • January 10 – 2:21 pm / 14:21 Wolf Moon Lunar Eclipse
  • February 9 – 2:33 am / 02:33 Full Snow Moon
  • March 9 – 1:48 pm / 13:48 Super Worm Moon
  • April 7 – 10:35 pm / 22:35 Super Pink Moon
  • May 7 – 6:45 am / 06:45 Flower Supermoon
  • June 5 – 3:12 pm / 15:12 Full Strawberry Moon
  • July 5 – 12:44 am / 12:44, Full Buck Moon
  • August 3 – 11:59 am / 11:59 Full Sturgeon Moon
  • September 2 – 1:22 am / 01:22 Full Corn Moon
  • October 1 – 5:05 pm / 17:05 Full Harvest Moon
  • October 31 – 9:49 am / 09:49 Full Hunter’s Moon
  • November 30 – 4:30 am / 04:30 Full Beaver Moon
  • December 29 – 10:28 pm / 22:28 Full Cold Moon

What are the Full Moons of 2021?

In 2021 we will have only 12 Full Moons, and here is when they will occur:

  • January 28 – Full Wolf Moon
  • February 27 – Full Snow moon
  • March 28 – Full worm moon
  • April 27 – Full Pink Moon
  • May 26 – Full Flower Moon
  • June 24 – Full Strawberry Moon
  • July 24 – Full Buck Moon
  • August 22 – Full Sturgeon Moon
  • September 21 – Full Corn moon
  • October 20 – Full Hunter’s Moon
  • November 19 – Full Beaver Moon
  • December 19 – Full Cold Moon

Moon Phases

The most important Moon phases are the New and the Full Moon, the First and the Third Quarter. The last two are also known as the Half Moon. In between, there are also other phases. Let’s find out what these phases represent.

The Full Moon happens when the Sun, Moon, and the Earth are aligned, and the Moon is on the opposite side of Earth. In this phase, the Moon is fully illuminated by the Sun.

When the Sun, Earth, and the Moon are again aligned; however, the Moon is in the middle, we will experience a New Moon. In this phase, the Moon will decrease its visibility to 1%. The Moon is only illuminated on the side, which we cannot see from Earth.

The First and Third Quarters, also known as the Half-moon, happen when the Moon is at a 90-degrees angle concerning the Earth and Sun. We can see half the illuminated part and half the shadow part of the Moon.

The Waxing crescent means that the Sun is starting to illuminate the Moon again, after the New Moon, but less than half.

When the part illuminated by the Sun is now more than 50% and increasing, the Moon is entering the Waxing gibbous phase.

After the Full Moon, the light will start to decrease again. Until the illuminated part of the Moon reaches 50%, it’s called the Waning gibbous phase.

When we can see less than 50% of the Moon’s illuminated part, it means it entered the Waning crescent phase. Now the light will wane again to 1 % until the New Moon. 

Did you Know? 

  • About 4.5 billion years ago, our Solar System started to form. Shortly after, a Mars-size object hit the Earth. That clash formed the Moon.
  • If you think the Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite, you may be wrong. A three-mile( 5 kilometers) wide asteroid caught in the Earth’s gravitational grip was found in 1999. Its name is Cruithne, and orbits in a horseshoe shape around the Earth. A complete orbit takes 770 years.
  • If you plan to quit smoking in August, the best days to start are the 5th, 9th, and the 27th.
  • For cutting hay, the best days are the 7th, 8th, and the 9th.
  • The best days for cutting hair in August are the 5th and the 6th.
  • If you want to be successful at a new project, make sure you start it during a Full Moon.
  • If your baby is born after the Full Moon, it will enjoy success.
  • In folklore, you will have good luck if you glimpse the New Moon over your shoulder. 

Sources:

  1. NASA
  2. Elitedaily
  3. Almanac
  4. Space
  5. Timeanddate
  6. Calendar-12 

Image Sources: