Full Moon Last Night? When, How To See August Sturgeon Moon

If you took a look at the sky Saturday night you may have noticed that the moon was looking particularly full, but it wasn’t at its full moon stage yet. The August 2017 full moon won’t take to the sky until August 7 and even once it does it will likely still be light out if you’re in the United States.

On the East Coast the full moon will rise at 2:11 p.m. but the sun will be out and bright at the time, so you won’t be able to see the moon. But the moon will still appear full Monday night a few hours after the moon rises.

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On Sunday evening the moon will appear full, because it will actually be about 99 percent full, but it will still be in the stages just before it enters a total full moon. So your best chance to spot the moon at its fullest will be Sunday or Monday evening after moon rise, but before it sets in the early morning hours of the next day. You can check the moonrise and set times for your location here.

August’s full moon is called the “sturgeon” full moon, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. Its name really has very little to do with the appearance of the moon and more to do with the time of the year during which it appears.

The sturgeon full moon appears during the beginning of August a time when sturgeon are most easily caught in the Great Lakes. The name comes from some Native American tribes. The moon is sometimes also called the Blueberry moon or the Wheat Cut moon both for the time of year during which it appears.

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In some parts of the world the full moon will coincide with a lunar eclipse. But it won’t be visible in the United States at all. The lunar eclipse will only be visible in parts of south and east Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia. The real show in the United States comes on August 21 with the new moon.

On that day there will be a total solar eclipse, and event that hasn’t occurred in the U.S. since 1972. On the 21, the moon will move between the sun and Earth, blocking the sun’s light and creating night-like conditions on Earth in the areas where the total eclipse will be visible. There are 14 states that will experience the eclipse in totality others will only get a partial eclipse. If you plan to view the event be sure to protect your eyes with either a hand-held filter or glasses for viewing. You can check to see if you’ll be in the path of totality here.