Sturgeon Moon: August's full moon

Where the name Sturgeon Moon comes from

August’s name is one where two well-known sources give different paths for the same idea.

NASA’s version. NASA’s former monthly full moon guides, written by Gordon Johnston, say that the Maine Farmers’ Almanac first published “Native American” names for the full moons in the 1930s. According to that almanac, the Algonquin tribes of what is now the northeastern United States called this the Sturgeon Moon, because the large fish were easier to catch at this time of year. NASA is reporting what the almanac said. The “Algonquin” attribution comes through a 1930s almanac, not from a tribal source.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s version. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, a separate publication based in New Hampshire, ties the name to Captain Jonathan Carver. In the 1760s, Carver traveled in the North American interior and recorded names he heard there. The almanac says lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain and other waters were an important staple for Native peoples living in the area. The Farmers’ Almanac, based in Maine today, ties the name to the season when large sturgeon were more readily caught.

Both accounts can be true at once. A name can appear in an 18th-century travel book and later be repeated in a 20th-century almanac. Either way, “Algonquin” in this context is a loose label. It may refer broadly to Algonquian-speaking peoples, a large family of nations, and none of these sources say which communities are meant. The full moon names overview explains how the popular list came together and why no single Native American list exists.

Other names for August’s full moon

The Old Farmer’s Almanac credits these names to specific nations. These are its attributions, not independently confirmed.

• Corn Moon: Algonquin and Ojibwe.
• Ricing Moon: Anishinaabe, for the wild rice harvest.
• Harvest Moon: Dakota. This is not the same as the astronomical Harvest Moon, which is defined by the September equinox.
• Black Cherries Moon: Assiniboine.
• Flying Up Moon: Cree.
• Mountain Shadows Moon: Tlingit.

NASA adds Green Corn Moon, again quoting the Maine Farmers’ Almanac. Indian Country Today (ICT), a Native-run news outlet, gives the Ojibwe name Manoominike-giizis, the Ricing Moon, which matches the almanac’s entry.

ICT’s Dakota list, from a University of Minnesota language page, confirms the almanac’s Dakota entry: August is Wasúthuŋ wí, the Harvest Moon. The Oneida name translates as New Corn, close to NASA’s Green Corn Moon, and the 1890s Cherokee seminary calendar gives Drying Up Moon.

What makes the Sturgeon Moon notable

The Sturgeon Moon often shares the sky with the Perseid meteor shower, the best-known meteor shower of summer. The Perseids peak in mid-August. When the full moon lands close to that peak, moonlight washes out all but the brightest meteors. When it falls early in the month or at the very end, the peak nights can be dark. The table above and the Perseids page show how each year lines up.

August is also one of the four months that can hold a seasonal Blue Moon. Sky & Telescope’s history of the term explains that under the old Maine Farmers’ Almanac rule, a Blue Moon is the third full moon in an astronomical season that has four. These fall only in February, May, August or November. NASA’s 2021 guide, for example, called that August’s full moon both the Sturgeon Moon and a Blue Moon. See the Blue Moon page.

How to watch the Sturgeon Moon

The table above lists moonrise for major cities on the best evening. Head somewhere with a low view to the east-southeast. A lakeshore is a fitting choice for this moon.

The rising Moon will look much bigger than it does later at night. NASA describes this Moon illusion as a trick of the brain. Measured or photographed, the Moon is the same size at the horizon and high in the sky. Hold up your index fingernail at arm’s length and it will cover the Moon in both places.

On warm August nights, the bright Moon makes it easy to set up a reclining chair for meteor watching later. On the nights after full moon, the Moon rises later each evening, which leaves a dark window after dusk. Our city sky pages show when it opens.