A sturgeon supermoon peak over Pennsylvania soon. Here’s your best chance to see it
The “sturgeon” full moon will light up the night sky over central Pennsylvania soon, and it will mark the second supermoon of the year.
The sturgeon moon will peak at 1:33 p.m. Tuesday, according to Forbes, and the best time to see it will likely be moonrise in State College, which will happen at 8:59 p.m. that day.
“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 says.
Full moons have multiple names, and many come from Indigenous cultures. The Old Farmer’s Almanac uses Indigenous moon names, along with monikers from colonial America and other North American sources.
State College residents should be able to enjoy a nice view of the supermoon, as the National Weather Service forecasts Tuesday night will be mostly clear with a low around 53 degrees.
What is the sturgeon supermoon?
This full moon will appear ”slightly larger than normal,” Space.com reports.
“The term ‘supermoon’ was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 as either a new or full Moon that occurs when the Moon is within 90% of perigee, its closest approach to Earth,” a NASA article about July’s supermoon reads.
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 obvious to casual observers without telescopes.
The sturgeon moon is also called the grain moon, corn moon, lynx moon and lightning moon, Forbes reports.
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
The blue supermoon will be August’s second full moon, and Forbes says the best times to see it will be the evenings of Aug. 30 and Aug. 31.
The Central Pennsylvania Observers hold monthly astronomy meetings, as well as free, public stargazing events.
Check out the Night Sky Network online for information about more stargazing events in the central Pennsylvania area.
