The Sturgeon Moon

In continuing the Moons of the Year series, here is the installment for August, “The Sturgeon Moon.”

The name for the full moon of the month of August is the Sturgeon Moon. A sturgeon is a fish that is found in North America in abundance during the month of August.

The August has many other names for its full moon, which differs between indigenous tribes. Other names include the Wheat Moon, the Green Corn Moon, and the Blueberry Moon.

The website Evolve and Ascend has some information regarding the Sturgeon Moon:

“This particular Moon will be residing in the sign Aquarius, which is known for the energies of altruism, freethinking, free will and friendship. Aquarius governs one’s hopes and ideals, but also confronts anything paradoxical in nature that we may be looking to reconcile….Each Full Moon illuminates our intentions, and magnifies their power, as our senses are intensified, and the ‘spiritual’ veil lifts – calling our soul’s desires to the surface. If we take this time and place our attention to what we need to reconcile deep within our soul, in order to manifest our greatest hopes and dreams, we can find a renewed clarity of consciousness that brings a more effortless ease in manifesting what would make our experience feel the best.

The website Natural Suburban has this to say regarding the Sturgeon Moon:
“The August full moon is a time of balance between hope and fear. We have harvested some things but the remaining crops are still in limbo. We take the steps we can to ensure success in our lives while trusting that the universe will meet us halfway.”

Beyond having a full moon in August, there will also be a solar eclipse on August 21. The website “Alphr” has information on this eclipse, and how you can chart your observations of the eclipse:
“In less than a month’s time, one of the finest solar eclipses since 1918 will pass across the United States. Weather permitting, the entire continent will be able to see the moon pass in front of the sun on 21 August 2017, as the total solar eclipse takes place. Other countries, including the UK, will see a partial eclipse…NASA will be broadcasting a three-hour live stream from 1pm to 4pm EDT (6pm BST to 9pm BST) on NASA TV, however. There will also be live feeds from NASA aircraft, balloons, and the International Space Station….The NASA-funded Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, or GLOBE, Program recently released an app that people watching the eclipse can use to gather scientific data...Each phone running the app will act like a ground sensor, feeding back information about the eclipse to create a simulation of this year's eclipse and build a so-called 3-D radiative transfer model...You can download the app from the GLOBE Observer site. To gather data you'll need to register to become a citizen scientist and use a thermometer to measure air temperature. The app will guide you through the steps for collecting the data points and your observations will be recorded on an interactive map.


Great care must be taken when observing an eclipse. The N.A.S.A. site offers the following information on how best to observe a solar eclipse:
"You never want to look directly at the sun without appropriate protection except during totality.  That could severely hurt your eyes.  However, there are many ways to safely view an eclipse of the sun including direct viewing – which requires some type of filtering device and indirect viewing where you project an image of the sun onto a screen. Both methods should produce clear images of the partial phase of an eclipse."

The solar eclipse in August will be a rare sight indeed. The next eclipse that will be visible in the U.S. will be in the year 2024.

Be on the lookout for tonight's full moon, and for the solar eclipse on August 21. It should make for a wonderful show!


Comments