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This week, the Sturgeon Moon rises, giving moongazers the world over the possibility to see a ravishing full Moon skimming the horizon.
The Sturgeon Moon is the August full Moon, the eighth full Moon of the yr, and rises on 9 August at 21:13 BST.
What’s extra, the Sturgeon Moon marks the start of a lunar assembly with the Solar System planets, the Moon monitoring eastwards throughout the sky evening after evening and encountering Saturn, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury.
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The time period ‘Sturgeon Moon’ is considered one of many nicknames given to month-to-month full Moons, which mirror key adjustments or occasions in nature occurring throughout the month in query.
August’s full Moon is called the Sturgeon Moon as a result of that is the time of yr when sturgeon fish had been most plentiful and best to catch within the Great Lakes of North America.
The identify displays each the ecological cycle – as sturgeon would come into shallower waters in August – and the cultural significance of the fish as a meals supply in North America.
Other names for the August full Moon are Lynx Moon, Grain Moon and Corn Moon.
It’s essential to recollect, nevertheless, that these nicknames do not point out the total Moon will look totally different to every other full Moon of the yr.
Nevertheless, full Moon names are a reminder of the altering of the seasons and the significance positioned on the phases of the Moon by numerous cultures all through historical past.
The Sturgeon Moon rises within the southeast round 9pm, though the precise timing will rely in your location.
It will then set within the southwest after dawn the next morning, 10 August.
The Sturgeon Moon is situated within the constellation Aquarius, and will not rise very excessive above the horizon.
That means there will be an opportunity to watch a phenomenon generally known as the Moon phantasm, whereby the Moon seems monumental when it is near the horizon.
This is an optical phantasm: the Moon is in actuality no greater than if you observe it excessive up within the sky.
Take a have a look at the Sturgeon Moon. Does it look enormous to you?
Full Moon can be time to watch options generally known as lunar rays.
For extra data, learn our information on the way to take advantage of a full Moon.
After the Sturgeon Moon has risen and set, the approaching evenings provide probability to see the now-waning Moon meet the planets of the Solar System within the evening sky.
This is as a result of the Moon tracks eastwards within the sky, evening after evening, so if there are a number of planets seen within the sky, the Moon usually makes an obvious shut strategy to every one in flip.
Effectively, the Moon will be a part of within the August 2025 planet parade.
It begins on 11–13 August when the Moon is near Saturn, first to the correct of the planet, after which to the left of the planet the next night.
On the evenings of 15–17 August, the Moon tracks previous the gorgeous blue open star cluster generally known as the Pleiades within the constellation Taurus.
The planet Uranus is presently near the Pleides, which suggests the Moon can be passing Uranus, too.
Get out your binoculars or telescope and see in case you can observe the distant world. For extra data, learn our information to observing Uranus in August 2025.
In the very early hours of 18 August, and the next morning of 19 August, if you will get a transparent view of the jap horizon earlier than dawn, you may see the Moon forming a line with Mercury, Venus and Jupiter, stretching upwards.
Mercury will probably be very near the horizon, adopted by Venus, then Jupiter and the Moon on the high.
On 20 August, the Moon could have tracked additional east, disrupting this multi-planet and Moon alignment within the sky.
But as a substitute, the Moon varieties a ravishing triangle with Venus and Jupiter.
Then on 21 August, the Moon is simply above Mercury within the very early hours earlier than dawn.
From this level onwards, Mercury is turning into a lot simpler to see within the morning sky, having emerged from the glare of the rising Sun.
This makes the 21 August assembly between Mercury and the Moon a standout second for observing Mercury.
From 22 August onwards, the Moon is approaching its ‘new Moon’ phases, that means it is starting to be swallowed by the morning dawn.
If you observe the Sturgeon Moon or the Moon’s assembly with the planets this month, share your observations and pictures with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you’ll be able to go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/sturgeon-moon
and if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you…
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you…
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you…
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you…
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you…
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you'll…