August's 'sturgeon' moon is Aug. 1. What to know about the next full moon, which is a supermoon.
There are 13 full moons throughout 2023, and the next full moon will be on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at 2:32 p.m. EDT. It's also a supermoon and the first of two full moons in the month of August.
There are many terms used to describe full moons — "supermoon" indicates a moon that can appear slightly bigger and brighter than normal; a "blue moon" denotes the second full moon in a month; and various names have been given to the full moons based on their time of year.
August's full moon is known as the sturgeon moon: For millennia, people across the world, including Native Americans in the eastern and central U.S., named the moons after nature’s cues. Each full moon has its own name, according to the Farmer's Almanac.
"August’s full moon was traditionally called the sturgeon moon because the giant sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this part of summer," the Almanac said.
Here's what to know about all the full moons that will occur in 2023:
When is the next full moon? August's full moon on 8/1.
The next full moon of 2023 will be on Tuesday August 1, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. July's full moon was on Monday, July 3, 2023.
2023 full moon list by month
Here are all of the full moons in 2023, according to NOAA:
∙ January 6, 2023, called the wolf moon, happened at 6:08 p.m. EST
∙ February 5, 2023, known as the snow moon, happened at 1:29 p.m. EST
∙ March 7, 2023, called the worm moon, happened at 7:40 a.m. EST
∙ April 6, 2023, called the pink moon, happened at 12:34 a.m. EDT
∙ May 5, 2023, called the flower moon, happened at 1:34 p.m. EDT
∙ June 3, 2023, called the strawberry moon, happened at 11:42 p.m. EDT.
∙ July 3, 2023, called the buck moon, happened at 7:39 a.m. EDT.
∙ August 1, 2023, at 2:32 p.m. EDT. The sturgeon moon.
∙ August 30, 2023, at 9:36 p.m. EDT. The blue moon.
∙ September 29, 2023, at 5:57 a.m. EDT. The harvest moon.
∙ October 28, 2023, at 4:24 p.m. EDT. The hunter's moon.
∙ November 27, 2023, at 4:16 a.m. EST. The beaver moon.
∙ December 26, 2023, at 7:33 p.m. EST. The cold moon.
What is a supermoon? When are the supermoons in 2023?
When the moon’s orbit brings it closer to Earth than usual, the cosmic combo is called a supermoon.
The moon can appear slightly bigger and brighter than normal, weather permitting.
EarthSky.org reports there will be four supermoons in 2023:
∙ July 3
∙ August 1
∙ August 30
∙ September 29
What is a blue moon? When are the blue moons in 2023?
A "blue" moon is typically defined as the second full moon of the month.
There's one blue moon in 2023: August 30.
What are the phases of the moon? What is a full moon?
The moon takes about 30 days to revolve around the Earth, which is called a lunar cycle. Each lunar cycle is divided into eight moon phases based on the moon’s position relative to the sun.
Contributing: Carlie Procell and Janet Loehrke
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Full moon dates 2023: August's full moon on Tuesday Aug. 1.