We'll have a wonderful view of the Full Sturgeon Moon this evening. Skies should be mostly clear to partly cloudy at 9:45 p.m. EDT when the Moon is Full. However, it will be a mild and more humid evening with temperatures generally in the 70s if you're out for a late-evening walk. The Moon rises at 7:13 EDT this evening, and it sets tomorrow morning at 6:47.
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.
As for our weather, it will be warm and humid through Thursday with daytime highs in the 80s and nighttime lows in the 60s and lower 70s. A cold front will approach later Thursday, bringing showers and thunderstorms to the region. Behind the front, however, pleasant weather is expected Friday through the upcoming weekend under mostly sunny skies, lower humidity, and comfortable temperatures.
Paul
