Stargazing in August: The many names for the moon

This month, we’re treated to a sturgeon moon, a blue moon, and two supermoons, writes Nigel Henbest

The full moon known as the sturgeon moon rising over Istanbul this week (Getty Images)

This month, we’re treated to a sturgeon moon, a blue moon, and two supermoons. Or, according to other traditions, a lightning moon, a dispute moon, a dry moon and – confusingly – a red moon!

These are all names given to the moon when it’s full, and at its maximum brilliance. Before our skies were filled with artificial illumination, the full moon made a huge difference to people’s lives, letting them work later into the evenings and easily find their way around at night. And so it was natural for them to distinguish the successive full moons of the year.

Many traditions around the world gave colourful names to each full moon of the year, but it’s the names from North America that are most widely used today. Most people go by a list compiled by the Old Farmer’s Almanac, first published in 1792: