Full Moon names date back to Native Americans in what is now the Northern and Eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring Full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.
A Full Moon rises at about the same time the Sun is setting. Since the length of daylight is about 14 hours and 51 minutes today, the Full Moon will rise later and set earlier this time of the year. In addition, the Full Moon will appear lower in the sky since it won’t be visible nearly as long as during the mid-Winter nights.
For example, the Moon rises at 7:39 this evening and sets at 5:09 tomorrow morning. That means the Moon will be visible for nine hours and 30 minutes. Conversely, six months from now in January when the amount of daylight is at a minimum, the Full Wolf Moon will appear higher in the sky and be visible for about 17-and-half-hours. That’s eight hours longer than this time of the year!
This year's Full Buck Moon happens on the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11, which happened Wednesday, July 16, 1969, at 9:32 a.m. EDT.
Paul
