If you look up at the sky tonight you will see 100 percent of the lunar orb’s face lit up by the Sun.
This happens because for one moment this month the Moon will sit directly opposite the Sun at 180 degrees.
Throughout the rest of the month the Moon will sit anywhere between 180 and zero degrees in relation to the Sun.
So why does the Aug. 26 full moon have so many different nicknames? National Geographic explains the name “sturgeon moon” comes from North American fishing tribes, due to the abundance of the sturgeon species of fish that could be found in the month of August. The epithet “red moon” is due to the moon’s reddish hue, which is caused by the summer fog, according to National Geographic.
The August full moon’s other two nicknames — “green corn moon” and “grain moon” — can be traced to the native American harvesting ceremonies that began at the end of summer. The Green Corn Ceremony was typically held in late June or early July, and the Mature Green Corn Ceremony would take place 45 days later, according to Cherokee.org.
The Anishnaabe (Chippewa and Ojibwe) call it miini-giizis, the berry moon, while the Assiniboine of the northern plains named it capasapsaba, black cherries moon. The Lakota call it wasutoa wi, moon of the ripening, while the Sioux dubbed it cherries turn black.
Likewise the Tlingit have dubbed their August full moon sha-ha-yi, or berries ripe on mountain. Also in the fruit realm are the Wishram of the Columbia River in Washington and Oregon, who called it blackberry patches moon, and the Shawnee, with po'kamawi kiishthwa, or plum moon.
Earthsky.org says that the August full moon will be visible in every part of the world except “far-northern Arctic latitudes.”
So, no matter where you are tonight, look up. You might see something beautiful and red.
August Full Moon Names From Native American and Other Different Cultures Joyful Moon (Hopi). First Acorns (Pomo). Ripen moon (Dakota). Dispute Moon (Celtic). Cutter Moon (Abernaki). Dog Days moon (Yuchi). Corn Silk Moon (Ponca). Harvest Moon (Chinese). Berry Moon (Anishnaabe). Women's Moon (Choctaw). Mulberries Moon (Natchez). Middle moon (Potawatomi). Freshness Moon (Mohawk). Yelow flower moon (Osage). Blackberry Moon (Wishram). Acorns Ripen Moon (Maidu). Wheat Cut Moon (San Juan). Lightning Moon (Neo Pagan). Black Cherries Moon (Sioux). Yellow Leaves moon (Kiowa). Edible Corn Moon (Algonquin). Young Ducks Fly Moon (Cree). Black Cherries Moon (Assiniboine). Dog Day's Moon (Colonial American). Autumn Moon (Taos Native American). Corn Moon, Wort Moon (Medieval English). Geese Shedding Feathers Moon (Arapaho). Feather Shedding Moon (Passamaquoddy). Dispute Moon (Full Janic), Harvest Moon (Dark Janic). Big Harvest moon, Heat Moon, Big Rippening Moon (Creek). Fruit Moon, Drying Moon, Last Fruit Moon, Grain Moon (Cherokee). Red Moon,Sturgeon Moon, Green Corn Moon, Dog Days Moon (Algonquin).
This happens because for one moment this month the Moon will sit directly opposite the Sun at 180 degrees.
Throughout the rest of the month the Moon will sit anywhere between 180 and zero degrees in relation to the Sun.
So why does the Aug. 26 full moon have so many different nicknames? National Geographic explains the name “sturgeon moon” comes from North American fishing tribes, due to the abundance of the sturgeon species of fish that could be found in the month of August. The epithet “red moon” is due to the moon’s reddish hue, which is caused by the summer fog, according to National Geographic.
The August full moon’s other two nicknames — “green corn moon” and “grain moon” — can be traced to the native American harvesting ceremonies that began at the end of summer. The Green Corn Ceremony was typically held in late June or early July, and the Mature Green Corn Ceremony would take place 45 days later, according to Cherokee.org.
The Anishnaabe (Chippewa and Ojibwe) call it miini-giizis, the berry moon, while the Assiniboine of the northern plains named it capasapsaba, black cherries moon. The Lakota call it wasutoa wi, moon of the ripening, while the Sioux dubbed it cherries turn black.
Likewise the Tlingit have dubbed their August full moon sha-ha-yi, or berries ripe on mountain. Also in the fruit realm are the Wishram of the Columbia River in Washington and Oregon, who called it blackberry patches moon, and the Shawnee, with po'kamawi kiishthwa, or plum moon.
Earthsky.org says that the August full moon will be visible in every part of the world except “far-northern Arctic latitudes.”
So, no matter where you are tonight, look up. You might see something beautiful and red.
August Full Moon Names From Native American and Other Different Cultures Joyful Moon (Hopi). First Acorns (Pomo). Ripen moon (Dakota). Dispute Moon (Celtic). Cutter Moon (Abernaki). Dog Days moon (Yuchi). Corn Silk Moon (Ponca). Harvest Moon (Chinese). Berry Moon (Anishnaabe). Women's Moon (Choctaw). Mulberries Moon (Natchez). Middle moon (Potawatomi). Freshness Moon (Mohawk). Yelow flower moon (Osage). Blackberry Moon (Wishram). Acorns Ripen Moon (Maidu). Wheat Cut Moon (San Juan). Lightning Moon (Neo Pagan). Black Cherries Moon (Sioux). Yellow Leaves moon (Kiowa). Edible Corn Moon (Algonquin). Young Ducks Fly Moon (Cree). Black Cherries Moon (Assiniboine). Dog Day's Moon (Colonial American). Autumn Moon (Taos Native American). Corn Moon, Wort Moon (Medieval English). Geese Shedding Feathers Moon (Arapaho). Feather Shedding Moon (Passamaquoddy). Dispute Moon (Full Janic), Harvest Moon (Dark Janic). Big Harvest moon, Heat Moon, Big Rippening Moon (Creek). Fruit Moon, Drying Moon, Last Fruit Moon, Grain Moon (Cherokee). Red Moon,Sturgeon Moon, Green Corn Moon, Dog Days Moon (Algonquin).
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You have to wonder without technology, how did the natives know it was exactly 180 degrees from the sun??