August’s Sturgeon Moon and Blue Moon
August 2023 is a special month as it has two Full Moons: the Sturgeon Moon and Blue Moon. Moreover, both of them will be Supermoons. Let’s figure out when to observe them!
Moon phases for August 2023
You can find a convenient lunar calendar in the Sky Tonight app. Tap the calendar icon at the bottom part of the main screen and switch to the “Moon” tab. Here, you can learn the lunar phase, illumination, moonset and moonrise times, and even the Moon's angular size for every day of the chosen month. Watch our video tutorial to learn more about the Calendar and its features.
Here are the Moon phase dates and times for August 2023:
Full Moon: August 1, 18:31 GMT (2:31 p.m. EDT)
Last Quarter: August 8, 10:28 GMT (6:28 a.m. EDT)
New Moon: August 16, 09:38 GMT (05:38 a.m. EDT)
First Quarter: August 24, 09:57 GMT (05:57 a.m. EDT)
Full Moon: August 31, 01:35 GMT (August 30, 21:35 a.m. EDT)
As you can see, August 2023 has two Full Moons. We'll give more details about each of them below.
Full Moon on August 1: the Sturgeon Moon
The first Full Moon this month will be called Sturgeon Moon. Most known names for the Full Moon come from Native Americans, who based them on the features of a particular month. For many tribes living around the Great Lakes, August was traditionally the time to fish for sturgeon, hence the name for the August Full Moon.
What is a sturgeon?
Sturgeon is a large freshwater fish that has been living on the Earth since prehistoric times. Since then, they haven’t undergone any significant changes: some even call them living fossils. They can grow to over 2-3.5 meters long and weigh around 90 kilos. Female sturgeons can live up to 150 years; it takes them about 20 years to start reproducing, and they can only have offspring every four years.
There are about 26 sturgeon species worldwide, and all of them are endangered due to intense overfishing and water pollution. Let the name of the August Full Moon be a reminder to take care of nature.
August Full Moon alternative names
The Full Moon in August also marked the start of a harvesting season in the Northern Hemisphere. Native American names for the August Full Moon include Corn Moon, Ricing Moon, and Black Cherries Moon. The Anglo-Saxons called it the Grain Moon.
Among the Cree people, the August Full Moon was known as the Flying Up Moon because the young birds learn to fly around this time. Many cultures also call it the Red Moon because of the reddish shade the Moon acquires in the late summer haze.
The other alternative names for the August Full Moon include:
Chinese: Harvest Moon
Celtic: Dispute Moon
Wiccan: Herbal Moon
Cherokee: Fruit Moon
Southern Hemisphere: Snow Moon, Storm Moon, Hunger Moon, Wolf Moon
What constellation is the Sturgeon Moon 2023 in?
The Sturgeon Moon 2023 will be in the constellation Capricornus. Download Sky Tonight or Star Walk 2 and track the position of our natural satellite anytime.
When is the next Sturgeon Moon?
The nearest Sturgeon Moon will be on August 1, 2023, at 18:31 GMT (2:31 p.m. EDT). After that, the next Sturgeon Moon will occur on August 19, 2024, at 18:26 GMT (2:26 p.m. EDT). It will also be a Supermoon and a Blue Moon (the third of four Full Moons in an astronomical season).
August’s Sturgeon Moon and Blue Moon
August 2023 is a special month as it has two Full Moons: the Sturgeon Moon and Blue Moon. Moreover, both of them will be Supermoons. Let’s figure out when to observe them!
Moon phases for August 2023
You can find a convenient lunar calendar in the Sky Tonight app. Tap the calendar icon at the bottom part of the main screen and switch to the “Moon” tab. Here, you can learn the lunar phase, illumination, moonset and moonrise times, and even the Moon's angular size for every day of the chosen month. Watch our video tutorial to learn more about the Calendar and its features.
Here are the Moon phase dates and times for August 2023:
Full Moon: August 1, 18:31 GMT (2:31 p.m. EDT)
Last Quarter: August 8, 10:28 GMT (6:28 a.m. EDT)
New Moon: August 16, 09:38 GMT (05:38 a.m. EDT)
First Quarter: August 24, 09:57 GMT (05:57 a.m. EDT)
Full Moon: August 31, 01:35 GMT (August 30, 21:35 a.m. EDT)
As you can see, August 2023 has two Full Moons. We'll give more details about each of them below.
Full Moon on August 1: the Sturgeon Moon
The first Full Moon this month will be called Sturgeon Moon. Most known names for the Full Moon come from Native Americans, who based them on the features of a particular month. For many tribes living around the Great Lakes, August was traditionally the time to fish for sturgeon, hence the name for the August Full Moon.
What is a sturgeon?
Sturgeon is a large freshwater fish that has been living on the Earth since prehistoric times. Since then, they haven’t undergone any significant changes: some even call them living fossils. They can grow to over 2-3.5 meters long and weigh around 90 kilos. Female sturgeons can live up to 150 years; it takes them about 20 years to start reproducing, and they can only have offspring every four years.
There are about 26 sturgeon species worldwide, and all of them are endangered due to intense overfishing and water pollution. Let the name of the August Full Moon be a reminder to take care of nature.
August Full Moon alternative names
The Full Moon in August also marked the start of a harvesting season in the Northern Hemisphere. Native American names for the August Full Moon include Corn Moon, Ricing Moon, and Black Cherries Moon. The Anglo-Saxons called it the Grain Moon.
Among the Cree people, the August Full Moon was known as the Flying Up Moon because the young birds learn to fly around this time. Many cultures also call it the Red Moon because of the reddish shade the Moon acquires in the late summer haze.
The other alternative names for the August Full Moon include:
Chinese: Harvest Moon
Celtic: Dispute Moon
Wiccan: Herbal Moon
Cherokee: Fruit Moon
Southern Hemisphere: Snow Moon, Storm Moon, Hunger Moon, Wolf Moon
What constellation is the Sturgeon Moon 2023 in?
The Sturgeon Moon 2023 will be in the constellation Capricornus. Download Sky Tonight or Star Walk 2 and track the position of our natural satellite anytime.
When is the next Sturgeon Moon?
The nearest Sturgeon Moon will be on August 1, 2023, at 18:31 GMT (2:31 p.m. EDT). After that, the next Sturgeon Moon will occur on August 19, 2024, at 18:26 GMT (2:26 p.m. EDT). It will also be a Supermoon and a Blue Moon (the third of four Full Moons in an astronomical season).