August's full moon reaches peak illumination this weekend. The best time to see it and the cloud forecast.
Sky-gazers will be able to enjoy August's spectacular full moon — known as a 'sturgeon moon' — at peak illumination this weekend. For those in North America, it will start Friday night and go into early Saturday, just days ahead of next week's highly anticipated 2025 Perseid meteor shower.
Even if you're in a big city with lots of lights, viewers can still see the moon's brilliance overnight Friday into Saturday.
An open field or elevated location with an unobstructed view facing the eastern horizon are the best spots for viewing the moon as it rises. Sky-gazers will be able to see the full moon with the naked eye, but binoculars or a telescope will allow them to see the details of the lunar surface.
Here's when to see the sturgeon moon and the forecasted cloud cover in the U.S.:
When exactly will it appear?
The sturgeon moon will be visible starting Friday night, Aug. 8, into the early hours of Saturday morning on Aug. 9. The moon will be at its fullest at 3:55 a.m. ET on Saturday, as indicated by EarthSky.
What will the cloud cover look like early Saturday?
Cloud cover could also be a factor, depending on where you're planning to see the full moon. The map below shows the forecasted cloud cover at 2 a.m. ET on Aug. 9 from the National Weather Service. The areas shaded in gray are expected to have greater cloud cover.
Why is it called a 'sturgeon moon,' anyway?
Each of the full moons in the calendar year has a name. They are specific to the U.S., because their names come from "Native American, Colonial American and European sources," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
August's full moon is named after the sturgeon because it's the peak time to catch the giant fish that's native to the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. Sturgeon was an important food staple for Native Americans who lived in that region, the Old Farmer's Almanac explains.
The prehistoric-looking fish has been traced back to more than 100 million years ago and consists of 29 species worldwide. Sturgeon are known as a 'living fossil' because of how virtually unchanged they've remained for all this time. Their size can vary widely, from that of a bass to 'nearly as big as a Volkswagen,' according to the University of Michigan.
What are the phases of the moon?
The moon's cycle lasts for 29.5 days and goes through eight phases during that time: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter and waning crescent.
Unlike some other full moons, the sturgeon moon is not considered a supermoon, which occurs when the moon is at its closest distance from Earth, nor a micromoon, designated as such when the moon is at its farthest distance away from Earth.
How many more full moons will we see this year?
After August, there will be four more full moons this year. There will be supermoons in October, November and December.
Here's the list of remaining moons in 2025, according to the Farmers' Almanac:
Sept. 7: Corn moon
Oct. 6: Harvest moon
Nov. 5: Beaver moon
Dec. 4: Cold moon
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