What is the Sturgeon Supermoon and where can I see it?

Stargazers may have seen the beautiful bright moon last month which was the first Supermoon of 2023, known as the Buck Supermoon, but this month we're in for another treat.

What is the Sturgeon Supermoon?

Named by the Native Americans, the Sturgeon moon gets its name from north America's largest fish.

The giant Sturgeon of the Great Lakes were most readily caught during this part of the summer. Other names are Corn Moon and Grain Moon.

But this year's Sturgeon moon will also be a supermoon!

What is a Supermoon?

A Supermoon is when the moon appears a little bit bigger and brighter in the sky.

As the moon goes around the Earth, there are points in its orbit in its Full Moon phase where it is slightly closer to Earth, known as its 'perigee': around 360,000 km away and 22,000 km closer.

It means it looks a little larger and more vivid to the naked eye.

When the moon viewed near the horizon looks larger than usual, your brain is playing a trick on you. It’s called the moon illusion.

Where can I see the Sturgeon Supermoon?

If conditions are clear tomorrow night, look to the east shortly after sunset or to the west before sunrise.

As long as the skies are not cloudy, you should be able to see the Sturgeon Supermoon appear around 30% brighter and 14% bigger than a standard Full Moon.

It will be an impressive sight viewed just with your eyes, though you can use a telescope or binoculars too.

Where does the Sturgeon Supermoon get its name from?

The Sturgeon Supermoon will be the second of this year and gets its name from north America's largest fish. The giant Sturgeon of the Great Lakes were most readily caught during this part of the summer. Other names are Corn Moon and Grain Moon.

What if it's cloudy and I can't see the Sturgeon Supermoon?

Don't worry if you miss the Sturgeon Supermoon, the next Full Moon will be on the night of Wednesday 30 August.

It will be even closer at a distance of 222,043 miles (357,344km) - and because it is the second full moon in the same month, it is known as a blue moon.

Why do we name Full Moons?

A full moon happens once in each lunar cycle, which lasts 29.5 days. As the moon travels in an elliptical path around, rather than circular, there are times when it is closer than others.

All full moons are given names, which are often linked to the time of year they occur. The names were given by Native Americans in North America in a bid to track the seasons.

There are some variations in the list, depending on where you look, as different tribes and settlers around the world created their own.

However, the most common is the Farmers Almanac list. The fourth and last Supermoon will be in September. 

Full Moons of 2023

• 1st August - Sturgeon Moon

• 30th August - Blue Moon

• 29th September - Harvest Moon

• 28th October - Hunter's Moon

• 27th November - Beaver Moon

• 26th December - Cold Moon

A 'blue moon' is where two full moons occur in the same month, in 2023 this will happen in August.

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