Full Moon in August 2024: The First Supermoon & the Blue Moon
The Full Moon in August 2024 is extra special because it's the first Supermoon of the year and also a seasonal Blue Moon. We've gathered all the information you need to know about this celestial event. Let's dive in!
Contents
- When is the Full Moon in August 2024?
- Full Moon on August 19: the Blue Moon
- Full Moon in August 2024: the first Supermoon of the year
- August Full Moon: the Sturgeon Moon
- Bright dot near the Full Moon in August 2024
- When is the next Full Moon in 2024?
- Full Moon August 2024: a summary
When is the Full Moon in August 2024?
The Moon will reach its full phase on August 19, at 18:26 GMT (2:26 p.m. EDT). Astronomically speaking, a Full Moon only lasts for a moment, but fear not if you miss it – the Moon will appear full for several days around August 19.
What constellation is the August Full Moon 2024 in?
The August Full Moon 2024 will be in the constellation Aquarius. Check the Moon’s position in the real sky above you with the help of Star Walk 2 and Sky Tonight.
Moon phases for August 2024
Here are the Moon phase dates and times for August 2024:
- New Moon: August 4, 11:13 GMT (7:13 a.m. EDT)
- First Quarter: August 12, 15:19 GMT (11:19 a.m. EDT)
- Full Moon: August 19, 18:26 GMT (2:26 p.m. EDT)
- Last Quarter: August 26, 9:26 GMT (5:26 a.m. EDT)
You can also find a convenient lunar calendar on our website. Or use the Moon tab in the calendar of the Sky Tonight astronomy app. There, you can learn the lunar phase, illumination, moonset and moonrise times, and even the Moon's angular size for every day of the chosen month. Watch our video tutorial to learn more about the calendar and its features.
And now, let’s take a closer look at the upcoming Full Moon.
Full Moon on August 19: the Blue Moon
The Full Moon on August 19 will be a seasonal Blue Moon – here is what it means.
What is a Blue Moon?
A Blue Moon is either the third of four Full Moons in an astronomical season (the seasonal Blue Moon) or the second Full Moon in a calendar month (the calendrical Blue Moon). Interestingly, the latter definition is more popular, although it appeared as a result of a misinterpretation of the former one. In our article about the Blue Moons, we explain in detail why this happened and why the “extra” Full Moon even needs a name, and also provide the dates of the Blue Moons up to 2031.
When is the next Blue Moon?
The next Blue Moon is on August 19, 2024, at 18:26 GMT (2:16 p.m. EDT). It is a seasonal Blue Moon. In 2024, we’ve got four Full Moons in a season between the June solstice and the September equinox, and the August Full Moon is the third of them.
After that, the next calendrical Blue Moon will be on May 31, 2026, at 8:45 GMT (4:46 a.m. EDT). The next seasonal Blue Moon will occur on May 20, 2027, at 10:59 GMT (6:59 a.m. EDT).
Full Moon in August 2024: the first Supermoon of the year
The average distance between the Moon and our planet is 384,400 km (238,855 miles), but the actual distance varies throughout the year. The closer our natural satellite comes to the Earth, the bigger and brighter it appears in the sky. The Full Moons that come closest to the Earth are called Supermoons.
What is a Supermoon?
A Supermoon is a Full or New Moon at or near (within 90% of) the closest approach to the Earth in a given orbit. Super Full Moons appear 7% bigger and 16% brighter than the ordinary ones.
The term belongs to Richard Nolle. However, he didn’t specify what he meant by “a given orbit”. If you try to use a year’s or a month’s orbit to calculate the upcoming Supermoons, the results will differ from his table. So, he probably used other estimations of the distances between the Moon and the Earth, which are unclear to us.
Fred Espenak uses the same definition but clearly states that he takes a monthly orbit as “a given one”. Most astronomical sources opt for Espenak’s table, which has more Supermoons than Nolle’s. You can learn more about both calculating methods in our article about the Supermoons.
The dates of Supermoons in the two calendars do not always coincide: the same Full Moon may be considered a Supermoon by Nolle and not by Espenak, and vice versa.
When is the next Supermoon 2024?
According to Espenak’s table, we will see 4 Supermoons in 2024. The first one will be on August 19, and the Supermoon after it is on September 18.
However, the Full Moon on August 19 isn’t listed as a Supermoon in the Nolle’s table. According to the astrologer, the first Supermoon in 2024 will be on September 18.
August Full Moon: the Sturgeon Moon
This month’s Full Moon is also called the Sturgeon Moon, which is the traditional name for the Full Moon in August. Most known names for the Full Moon come from Native Americans, who based them on the features of a particular month. For many tribes living around the Great Lakes, August was traditionally the time to fish for sturgeon, hence the name for the August Full Moon.
What is a sturgeon?
A sturgeon is a large freshwater fish that has been living on the Earth since prehistoric times. Since then, they haven’t undergone any significant changes: some even call them living fossils. They can grow to over 2-3.5 meters long and weigh around 90 kilos. Female sturgeons can live up to 150 years; it takes them about 20 years to start reproducing, and they can only have offspring every four years.
There are about 26 sturgeon species worldwide, and all of them are endangered due to intense overfishing and water pollution. Let the name of the August Full Moon be a reminder to take care of nature.
August Full Moon alternative names
The Full Moon in August also marked the start of a harvesting season in the Northern Hemisphere. Native American names for the August Full Moon include Corn Moon, Ricing Moon, and Black Cherries Moon. The Anglo-Saxons called it the Grain Moon.
Among the Cree people, the August Full Moon was known as the Flying Up Moon because the young birds learn to fly around this time. Many cultures also call it the Red Moon because of the reddish shade the Moon acquires in the late summer haze.
The other alternative names for the August Full Moon include:
- Chinese: Harvest Moon
- Celtic: Dispute Moon
- Wiccan: Herbal Moon
- Cherokee: Fruit Moon
- Southern Hemisphere: Snow Moon, Storm Moon, Hunger Moon, Wolf Moon
When is the next Sturgeon Moon?
In 2024, the Sturgeon Moon will occur on August 19, 2024, at 18:26 GMT (2:26 p.m. EDT). It will also be a Supermoon and a Blue Moon (the third of four Full Moons in an astronomical season). After that, the next Sturgeon Moon will be on August 9, 2025, at 7:55 GMT.
Bright dot near the Full Moon in August 2024
On August 21, at 2:54 GMT (August 20, 10:54 p.m. EDT), the night after the Full Moon, our natural satellite will meet Saturn in the sky. The ringed planet will shine at a magnitude of 0.6. The objects will be located in the constellation Aquarius. Find all the details in our article about the planets next to the Moon.
When is the next Full Moon in 2024?
The next Full Moon, or the Harvest Moon, will be on September 18, 2024. Use our colorful Full Moon calendar to learn the upcoming Full Moons' times, dates, and names.
Full Moon August 2024: a summary
The August Full Moon 2024 takes place on August 19, at 18:26 GMT (2:26 p.m. EDT). This Full Moon is special, for it is the first Supermoon of 2024 and the seasonal Blue Moon. Don’t miss this beautiful celestial event and prepare for the next Full Moons with our Full Moon calendar 2024!
We wish you clear skies and successful observations!
