A sturgeon supermoon will rise over WA on Tuesday. Here’s when and how you can see it
The “sturgeon” full moon will light up the night sky over Washington on Tuesday, marking the second supermoon of the year.
The sturgeon supermoon peaked at 11:32 a.m. Pacific Time on August 1, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The best time to see it in Washington will be moonrise, which will happen at approximately 9:24 p.m. in western Washington and 9:06 p.m. in eastern Washington. You can see the moonrise by looking toward the southeast.
“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 Old Farmer’s Almanac states.
Full moons have multiple names, and many come from Indigenous cultures. The Old Farmer’s Almanac uses Indigenous moon names and monikers from colonial America and other North American sources.
Washington residents should have a good view of the supermoon, as the National Weather Service forecasts Tuesday night will have clear skies throughout the state.
If it’s too cloudy, you can watch the sturgeon moon rising on Space.com’s live stream.
What is a sturgeon supermoon?
This full moon will appear ”slightly larger than normal,” Space.com reports.
The term “supermoon” was first used in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle, according to NASA. Nolle used the term to describe either a new or full moon that occurs when the moon is at its closest approach to Earth.
Because it will be closer to Earth than most full moons, the sturgeon moon will likely appear 10% to 11% larger in the sky, according to Space.com, though the difference may not be evident to casual observers without telescopes.
The sturgeon moon is also called the grain moon, corn moon, lynx moon and lightning moon.
More full moons in 2023
Here’s when to see more full moons in 2023, with information from Space.com:
Aug. 30: Blue supermoon (appears biggest and brightest of the year)
Sept. 29: Harvest supermoon
Oct. 28: Hunter’s moon
Nov. 27: Beaver moon
Dec. 26: Cold moon
