Full Sturgeon Moon Happens This Weekend

It was brighter than normal when I left my home shortly before 3 o'clock this morning. That's because crystal clear skies helped illuminate a nearly-full Moon. Ralph Fato, a regular contributor to our Facebook weather page, sent this photo of the Moon. He wrote, "Anyone catch the moon tonight? (It was) nice and bright. Here's a picture I took of it at 10 p.m. facing Southeast. (The) camera didnt capture the bright white light it was giving off, but (it's) still pretty cool to see up close."

The Full Sturgeon Moon happens this Saturday, August 13, at 2:57 p.m. EDT. We should get another spectacular view of the nearly-full Moon later tonight under clear skies and dry air. Temperatures will fall into the 50s inland and lower 60s along the shoreline by daybreak. The Moon rises at 7:06 EDT this evening, and it sets tomorrow morning at 5:51.

So, how did the August full Moon get its name? The fishing tribes are given credit for naming it, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze. It was also called the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

Thunder and lightning are quite frequent with Summer storms in August. So, this month’s full Moon also goes by the name of the Lightning Moon for the Summer thunderstorms. Other names given to the Moon in August are the Red Moon and the Dog Moon.

Full Moon names date back to the days of the 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.

There are some changes to the weekend weather forecast. High pressure will hold through tomorrow, and a storm system which promises to bring moderate to possibly heavy rain won't arrive until late Sunday or Sunday night. The rain may be heavy through early Monday.

Have a good weekend.

Paul