![]() Looking to the east and south around midnight Thursday night, viewers will see the Sturgeon Moon, Jupiter and Saturn, and possibly even flashes of light in the sky from the Perseid meteor shower. You can also try to spot 'shooting stars' from the Perseid meteor shower! If you're out gazing at the Full Sturgeon Supermoon, don't forget to look around at the rest of the sky. Read more: Why is the supermoon so compelling to us? Planets and Perseids The term 'supermoon' was first used by astrologer Richard Nolle, who defined it as when the Full Moon is "within 90 per cent of its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit."Īccording to retired NASA scientist Fred Espenak, this supermoon is nearly 26 per cent brighter than January's apogee Full Moon, or around 13 per cent brighter than the average Full Moon (like the one back in March). At other times it is farther away, and its farthest point in an orbit is known as apogee. So, sometimes the Moon is closer to Earth, and the nearest point it reaches in an orbit is known as perigee. This apparent difference in size is due to the shape the Moon traces out as it orbits around Earth - not a perfect circle but an ellipse. Credit: Scott Sutherland/NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio Note that the size of the Moon changes from frame to frame due to the changing distance between the Moon and Earth. If you carefully observe the Moon, night by night, you will notice that along with its changing phases, it also gets bigger and smaller in our sky over the course of a month. What is a 'super' moon?Ī supermoon is a Full Moon that appears bigger and brighter in the sky because it is closer to Earth. ![]() June's Strawberry Moon was closer, and July's Buck Moon was 2022's 'perigee Full Moon' - the closest Full Moon of the year.īeing the third closest, that makes this a Super Sturgeon Moon. NASA also says that this is the third-closest Full Moon of 2022. In Kandy, Sri Lanka, this Full Moon corresponds with the end of the Esala Perahera festival, also known as the Festival of the Tooth, a two-week Buddhist festival held each year." This Full Moon is Nikini Poya, commemorating the first Buddhist council that occurred about 2,400 years ago, sometime around 400 BCE. "Every Full Moon is a holiday in Sri Lanka. The term 'Raksha Bandhan' translates as 'the bond of protection, obligation, or care.'" One of the traditions is for sisters of all ages to tie a rakhi (a cotton bracelet) around their brother's wrist, receiving a gift from the brother in return, as a sign of the continuing bond between them. Other cultures assign names to Full Moons as well.Īccording to NASA: "This Full Moon corresponds with the Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan, celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters. However, to the Algonquin and other First Nations peoples, 'Corn Moon' may have been the more popular name. The Farmer's Almanac (yes, there's more than one) attributes Sturgeon Moon to the Algonquin peoples of the Great Lakes and what is now the U.S. Credit: Scott Sutherland/NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Fred Espenak This graphic collects all the relevant data about each Full Moon of 2022, including their popular names, whether they are a 'super' or 'micro' Moon, a 'perigee' or 'apogee' Full Moon, and whether they are remarkable in some other way (Harvest Moon, or due to a lunar eclipse). "The sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were said to be most readily caught during this Full Moon," the Almanac says. According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, the August Full Moon is typically known as the Full Sturgeon Moon. These names were taken from various First Nations, Colonial and European folklore. 'Sturgeon' Moon?īack in the 1930s, the Maine Farmer's Almanac wrote down a list of names for each Full Moon of the year. There is even a chance to spot meteors from a far distant comet. The Full Moon rises Thursday night, along with some of the brightest planets in the solar system. There are some excellent skywatching opportunities this week. Hover over events for more details.Do you have clear skies for this week? You'll need them to catch the Super Sturgeon Moon. Current lunation cycle is highlighted yellow. Dates are based on the Gregorian calendar. Time is adjusted for DST when applicable. Business Date to Date (exclude holidays).
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