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Jan Harris
Deputy Group Editor
4:04 PM 11th August 2022
nature

The Sturgeon Moon Is The Last Supermoon Of 2022

 
Image by Susan Cipriano from Pixabay
Image by Susan Cipriano from Pixabay
The month of August will see another supermoon, the fourth of the year and the last for the year 2022. The Sturgeon moon rounds off the supermoons of 2022, the Flower moon in May, Strawberry moon in June and the Buck moon in July.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac the August full moon will appear on the night of Thursday 11 August but will be visible in the night sky for a couple of nights either side as long as the weather isn't cloudy.

The August full moon is called the Sturgeon Moon as it is the time of year when an abundance of the largest American freshwater fish can be caught in the lakes and rivers of North America.

Image by Erich Westendarp from Pixabay
Image by Erich Westendarp from Pixabay
What is a Sturgeon?

The lake sturgeon fish is a greenish-grey colour with a pointed snout and two pairs of whisker-like tactile organs dangling near the mouth.

These prehistoric-looking fish are often called ‘living fossils’ as they belong to a family of fish that have been around for more than 135 million years.

Lake sturgeons can live for a long time, males for 55 years and females 150 years, growing up to 2 metres long and weighing up to 90 kilos.

These fish live in rivers as well as lakes but not in the ocean.

The lake sturgeon is quite rare now because of pollution and overfishing in the 19th century.


Other names for the full August moon are the Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon, Fruit Moon or Barley Moon, as these were the crops that would be harvested in August.

A few American tribes knew the August full moon as the Full Red Moon because, as the moon rises, it appears reddish through a sultry haze.

Photo by Sanni Sahil on Unsplash
Photo by Sanni Sahil on Unsplash
What is the origin of the moon names

The names given to the full moons during the year are derived from the North American traditions.

Many of these ancient moon names have been given based on the behaviour of the plants, animals, or weather during that month.

There are a total of 12 full moon phases during the annual lunar cycle plus the occasional Blue Moon and each full moon has a unique name and reflects the landscape around us.

It is said that they were the names given by Native American tribes and included into our modern calendar. However the full moon names we now use also have Anglo-Saxon and Germanic roots.

Some interesting moon facts:

The moon's diameter is 2,160 miles
The sun and moon are not the same size
The moon's surface is dark
The moon has quakes
There is water on the moon
The moon has a very thin atmosphere
A person would weigh less on the moon
The dark side of the moon is a myth
We only see the near side of the moon, the other side is the far side


Why a full moon?

Full moons occur every 29.5 days or so as the moon moves to the side of Earth directly opposite the sun, reflecting the sun's rays off its full face and appearing as a brilliant, perfectly circular disk.

A full moon occurs when the moon's earth-facing side is completely illuminated by the sun. Scientists say that when you see the moon looking really large as it rises in the sky your brain is actually playing a trick on you.

There are many reasons as to why this is, but the main theory is that when the moon is low on the horizon it can be compared to earthly things, like buildings and trees, and this is why it seems huge.

Moon myths and folklore:

The Farmers’ Almanac has listed some fascinating folklore connected to this lunar occasion. It states:

"Clothes washed for the first time in the full Moon will not last long.

"If you glimpse the new Moon over your right shoulder, you will have good luck.

"To have a project prosper, start it during the new Moon.

"Babies born a day after the full Moon enjoy success and endurance."


Why a supermoon?

A supermoon is when you look up at the night sky and the full moon looks so close you feel as if you could almost touch it, although sometimes the difference is hard to spot with the naked eye.

This is called a moon illusion as the full moon appears much larger when it rises behind a distant object on the horizon.

When the moon is closest to the earth a supermoon occurs. A supermoon will appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than usual. A supermoon looks especially large when rising and setting.

The moon will be 30,000 miles closer than usual. It sounds a lot, but the average distance between the earth and moon is 238,900 miles, so it’s not that huge a difference.

If you go outside on the night of a full supermoon you should actually notice that it is exceptionally bright.

According to the US space agency the term supermoon was first coined back in 1979 and is now quite commonly used.

photo credit Rob Harris
photo credit Rob Harris
Full moons in 2022


Wolf Moon - 17 January
Snow Moon – 16 February
Worm Moon – 18 March
Pink Moon – 16 April
Flower Moon – 16 May (lunar eclipse)
Strawberry Moon – 14 June
Buck Moon – 13 July
Sturgeon Moon – 12 August
Corn/Harvest Moon – 10 September
Hunter’s Moon – 9 October
Beaver Moon – 8 November
Cold Moon – 8 December


Sleep and a full moon

Image by Moondance from Pixabay
Image by Moondance from Pixabay
Because the moon affects the tides, it is often said that full moons can also affect us. Issues with our immune system can be caused by lack of sleep or disturbed sleep. Some people find falling asleep harder during a full moon along with less time spent in a deep sleep. This lack of sleep can sometimes cause people to have worse headaches often called 'moon migraines'.

The best time to see the full moon in the UK will be in the evening after sunset as that is when the moon is closest to the earth. So let's hope we get some clear sky to be able to see the supermoon, but it will be exceptionally large and bright for a few days around the peak.

The next full moon will rise on Saturday 10 September and is the Corn/Harvest Moon