Full Sturgeon Moon

Today is the full moon (again!) and this one, as are all the moons, is known by many names depending on who bestowed its name on it. The fishing tribes named this moon the Full Sturgeon Moon as it's at this time of year that this fish is in great abundance, especially in the Great Lakes region. It is also known as the Full Red Moon because of the reddish hue the moon appears to have as it rises in the evening, due to haze caused by the heat and humidity this time of year. The Green Corn Moon, the Corn Moon, the Thunder Moon, the Black Cherries Moon and the Grain Moon are more names this moon is known by. My absolute favorite name for this month's moon is the Geese Shed Feathers Moon. How cute is that? The neo-pagan name for August's full moon is the Lightning Moon.

Tonight there is a penumbral eclipse of the moon which will be visible in both eastern and central North America. The moon will enter penumbra at 7:01 PM EDT and will leave it at 10:17 PM EDT.

Full Blackberry Moon

Today is the Full Blackberry Moon, the name I personally prefer to some of the other names this moon goes by, as I adore the process of wandering among fruit bushes both in the wild and those cultivated on berry farms. There is nothing quite so musical as the sound of those first few berries hitting the bottom of the empty little metal bucket. In my family, we call it "the sound of berry rain."

Today's moon is also known as the Full Buck Moon, as this is the time of the year when bucks begin to grow antlers, and the neo-pagan name for this moon is the Hay Moon.

Today also brings a penumbral eclipse of the moon, though I doubt that I'll be able to see it as it's dark and cloudy here with thundershowers and it isn't supposed to clear for several days. It will be visible on the west coast and in the central US, as well as Alaska and Hawaii in the early evening and here on the east coast as the moon sets for those lucky enough to have clear weather and good visibility.