One of the largest full moons of the year will rise on Thursday, August 1, 2023.
The second so-called “supermoon” of 2023, August’s full moon is called the “Sturgeon Moon” in popular culture because of the sturgeon fish that were found in the Great Lakes in North America at this time of year, according to Timeanddate. However, it’s also called the “Grain Moon,” “Corn Moon,” “Lynx Moon” and “Lightning Moon.”
Pagan Celebration
This year’s “Sturgeon Moon” occurs on the date of Lammas, a traditional pagan celebration of the first harvest of the season. It’s an astronomically significant date. August 1 is a cross-quarter day—the halfway point between June’s solstice and September’s equinox. As such, it’s one of the way-markers of the annual orbit of Earth around the sun.
The second full moon of summer in the northern hemisphere, the “Sturgeon Moon” will turn full while 357,311 km from Earth—only slightly farther away than the next full moon, the biggest and brightest of the year.
Supermoons Explained
For supermoons, distance is everything. The moon’s orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle, but rather an ellipse. This means that the moon’s distance from Earth varies throughout its orbit.
The closest point in the moon’s orbit is called perigee and the farthest point is called apogee. A supermoon is a full moon that occurs when the moon is at perigee.
The upshot is that a perigee full moon—a supermoon—appears about 14% larger and 30% brighter than when it is at apogee.
Exact definitions vary—the term supermoon has astrological, not astronomical, roots—but generally it refers to a full moon that occurs within 90% of the moon’s closest approach to Earth in a given orbit.
Best Time To See The ‘Super Sturgeon Moon’
The best time to see a full moon is as it rises in the east during dusk, so very soon after sunset. The “Super Sturgeon Moon” will officially be 100% illuminated at 1:33 p.m. EDT on Thursday, August 1, 2023, with the moonrise a few hours later the best time to view it.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- In London sunset is at 8:50 p.m. BST and moonrise is at 9:23 p.m. BST (the moment of full moon is at 6:33 p.m. BST).
- In New York sunset is at 8:13 p.m. EDT and moonrise is at 8:44 p.m. EDT (the moment of full moon is at 1:33 p.m. EDT).
- In Los Angeles sunset is at 7:55 p.m. PDT and moonrise is at 8:28 p.m. PDT (the moment of full moon is at 10:33 a.m. PDT).
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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