Supermoon in August 2024: The First of the Year!

Photo Credit

Colleen Quinnell

Catch the Full Sturgeon Supermoon

August 20, 2024

August’s Full Moon will peak on Monday, August 19, but it will appear full for three days—through early Wednesday morning. Plus, it’s a supermoon—the very first of 2024—so it’s bigger and brighter than usual! We’ll explain what makes the August Moon special and how to view this gorgeous summer sight best.

When to See the Full Moon in August 2024

August’s full Moon will crest on Monday, August 19, reaching peak illumination at 2:26 P.M. Eastern Time. In the evening, look toward the southeast after sunset to glimpse the Sturgeon Moon rising.

First Supermoon of the Year

This is the first of four consecutive supermoons of the year! This means that it will appear bigger and brighter than the full Moons we have seen thus far! Learn about what it means to be a Supermoon.

And It’s a Blue Moon

Some folks are calling it a “Blue Moon.” Wonder why? One definition of Blue Moon is the third full Moon in a season with four full Moons.

Here at The Old Farmer’s ��, we usually use the more common definition for Blue Moon, which refers to two full Moons in a single month. We call the first Moon its traditional name (which is Sturgeon Moon for August) and the second full Moon a Blue Moon.

Learn more about the term, Blue Moon.

Why Is It Called the Sturgeon Moon?

The full Moon of August is traditionally called the “Sturgeon Moon.”

The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s �� have different origins, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the full Moon.

The Sturgeon Moon

The name Sturgeon Moon comes from the giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain; this native freshwater fish was readily caught during this part of summer and an important food staple for Native Americans who lived in the region. At one time the lake sturgeon was quite abundant in late summer, though they are rarer today.

What Is a Sturgeon?

These prehistoric-looking fish have been traced back to around 136 million years ago, and many people call them “living fossils.”

Females require around 20 years to start reproducing, and they can only reproduce every 4 years. However, they can live up to 150 years!
Today, there are about 29 species worldwide, including the lake sturgeon found in the Great Lakes. They have evolved in size from the size of a bass to a monster sturgeon as big as a Volkswagen.
The lake sturgeon is quite rare today, due to intense overfishing in the 19th century, pollution, and damage to their habitat.

The word "sturgeon" means "the stirrer," which is what this giant fish does when it is looking for food; it stirs up the mud and silt on river and lake bottoms. Notice the pointed snout and whisker-like tactile organs near the mouth. Credit: Tennessee Aquarium..jpg — The word “sturgeon” means “the stirrer,” which is what this giant fish does when it is looking for food; it stirs up the mud and silt on river and lake bottoms. Notice the pointed snout and whisker-like tactile organs near the mouth. Credit: Tennessee Aquarium.

Alternative August Moon Names

Flying Up Moon is a Cree term describing the time when young birds are finally ready to take the leap and learn to fly.

Corn Moon (Algonquin, Ojibwe), Harvest Moon (Dakota), and Ricing Moon (Anishinaabe) signify that this is the time to gather maturing crops. Along the same vein, the Assiniboine people named this period Black Cherries Moon, referring to when chokecherries become ripe.

The Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest traditionally called this time of the season the Mountain Shadows Moon.

→&�Բ��;See all Full Moon names and their meanings.

Moon Phases for August 2024

See Moon phase dates and times below. Note: All dates and times are ET. Go to the Moon Phase Calendar for your time zone.

Moon Phases for August 2024

	New Moon: August 4, 7:13 A.M.
	First Quarter: August 12, 11:19 A.M.
	Full Moon: August 19, 2:26 P.M.
	Last Quarter: August 26, 5:26 A.M.

→ For your next full Moon, see our Full Moon Dates chart.

Full Sturgeon Moon Video

Each month, we will explain the traditional names of the Full Moon along with some fascinating facts. In this video, learn about the Full Sturgeon Moon. Click below to watch the video.

Best Days in August 2024

Below are the best days for activities, according to the Moon’s sign and phase in August.

Activity	Best Days
Cutting Hay	22, 23
Harvest Aboveground Crops	6, 7
Fishing	4-19

→&�Բ��;See Best Days for MORE activities.

Moon Folklore

Clothes washed for the first time in the full Moon will not last long.
If you glimpse the new Moon over your right shoulder, you will have good luck.
To have a project prosper, start it during the new Moon.
Babies born a day after the full Moon enjoy success and endurance.

Share your thoughts about this month’s moon below!

Full Moon Names

Comments

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You are correct that August’s full Moon does not fit that definition of a Blue Moon. However, there are actually two different types of Blue Moons! August’s is what we call a “seasonal” Blue Moon, which is defined as the third of four full Moons to occur within one season. Read more about it here!

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Farmer's �� wrote; the Assiniboine (Indian) people named this period Black Cherries Moon, referring to when chokecherries become ripe; comment: Red Choke-cherries are not fully edible; whereas; Black-choke berries are; Black choke-berries; aka Aronia; prolific in NE; good for Bird-food~(the berries can be dried)~

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Please tell me how to glimpse the new moon over your right shoulder when I've always been told the new moon is not visible in the sky.

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You are correct in that one can not actually see a new Moon, at least with the unaided eye, unless there is a solar eclipse (which requires proper eye protection). If one were somehow to see a new Moon on a non-eclipse day, then that would really be a stroke of luck! However, an alternate meaning of “new Moon” refers to the time when the thinnest of crescents first becomes visible. Similarly, we are guessing that “new Moon” in this bit of folklore actually means “around the time of the new Moon,” such as a day or two after, when the crescent is just beginning to show.

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Thank you for the clarification.

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I was outside this morning August 27th, 2018 at 3 a.m. The Moon was breathtaking and colored orange. The brightest star in the sky was also the same bright orange... Was this just a reflection from the moon? Or was/is there something specific in the atmosphere to make them both appear so bright orange??/

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Hi Toni, How magical! The bright orange star you are seeing is Mars which has been a delightful presence this year! Reddish-orange skies at night usually mean a lot of atmospheric dust or clouds or haziness in the atmosphere. As the shorter light wavelengths are scattered, only red light is left, as it has the largest wavelength of the seven colors.

If the Moon looks orange, unfortunately, this could also be due to the major forest fires that are happening in our Western regions. It’s indeed very pretty but may reflect atmospheric debris from a natural disaster.

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I was just talking with my grandchildren as we were looking at the moon during the day as to when the next full moon was. We looked at our local weather stations web site and found nothing. I said I bet the farmers almanac will know and there it was! Now we are on a new subject about you lol

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Glad to hear that we could help answer your question! Thanks for reading!

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This is lovely! Thank you. I work in a middle/high school library and I'm sure that this information will come in handy!

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