Catch the Full Sturgeon Supermoon
August鈥檚 Full Moon will peak on Monday, August 19, but it will appear full for three days鈥攖hrough early Wednesday morning. Plus, it鈥檚 a supermoon鈥攖he very first of 2024鈥攕o it鈥檚 bigger and brighter than usual! We鈥檒l 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鈥檚 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.
Read Next
鈫 Consult our Moonrise and Moonset Calculator to see precisely when the Sturgeon Moon will be visible in your area!
And It鈥檚 a Blue Moon
Some folks are calling it a 鈥淏lue Moon.鈥 Wonder why? One definition of Blue Moon is the third full Moon in a season with four full Moons.
Here at The Old Farmer鈥檚 蜜桃恋人, 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 鈥淪turgeon Moon.鈥
The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer鈥檚 蜜桃恋人 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 鈥渓iving fossils.鈥
- 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.
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.
鈫&苍产蝉辫;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
.png){kind=small} | New Moon: August 4, 7:13 A.M. |
.png){kind=small} | First Quarter: August 12, 11:19 A.M. |
.png){kind=small} | Full Moon: August 19, 2:26 P.M. |
.png){kind=small} | Last Quarter: August 26, 5:26 A.M. |
鈫 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鈥檚 sign and phase in August.
| Activity | Best Days |
| Cutting Hay | 22, 23 |
| Harvest Aboveground Crops | 6, 7 |
| Fishing | 4-19 |
鈫&苍产蝉辫;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鈥檚 moon below!
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1. The FA has to be more mainstream and more people need to know about it. I am really enjoying all you have on these pages, which I found by accident!
2. The moon tonight (August 8, 2017) is just magnificent in Rockville, MD.
3. My Cairn Terrier and my Yorkies are out on the deck, looking up at the moon! Wonder what they know...
4. Thanks so much for all your planting/gardening/recipe/etc. ideas. Reminds me of being home, on the farm, in New Jersey, when I was a little girl. : )
Thanks again,
Gay
First time
Thank you for your never ending help with your almanac! I have enjoyed it's many uses for years!
Why, thank you, Alejandro! We appreciate your interest in The Old Farmer’s 蜜桃恋人. Your kind words made our day. With all good wishes, your editors in Dublin, New Hampshire.
High in the sky at night a moon its in its full bloom , past the summer equinox to pick some things you have planted in your gardens the next day enjoy your fruits
an labours .
So glad to reconnect with the Farmer's 蜜桃恋人i
the moon info was so interesting and I learned a lot!
Thank u for keeping us all informed of the latest full moon. I trust the Farmer's 蜜桃恋人, as I have seen the printed copies and even bought them, before. I can most definitely feel the energy surrounding the waxing of the full moon, but like the gentleman states in the comments below, the cycles of the moon are most affecting. I had an old Drama professor in college who would always schedule our plays/productions around the full moon's cycle. The weekend before the full moon was to was the fullest, he felt, had the best energy. To this day, I have kept that in mind. Thanks for enlightening us all on the various types of moons; ie: Strawberry, Blue, Sturgeon, etc. Enjoy, everyone!
Correction to previous: "was to wax, was the fullest, & had the best energy."
Thank you!
I love this 蜜桃恋人! Keep up this work!
I must say, I am firing up, as the moon waxes and becomes full only to be more tired as it wanes! Is it me? Or do I react to my wife's women's cycle? It's great being here though, in the waxing! Great dreams! Full energy! But, what goes up, must come down!
