Next Sturgeon Moon
Sturgeon Moon dates, 2026 and 2027
| Date | Time | Moon at | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 28 Aug 2026 | 04:18 UTC | 4° Pisces | Sturgeon Moon, partial lunar eclipse |
| Tue, 17 Aug 2027 | 07:29 UTC | 24° Aquarius | Sturgeon Moon, penumbral lunar eclipse |
Universal time, calculated from the Moon and Sun positions. “Moon at” is the sign and degree the Moon is in at the moment it is full.
The sign of each Sturgeon Moon
The name is fixed by the month, but the sign changes, and astrologers read a full moon through its sign.
- 28 Aug 2026: Moon in Pisces, Sun in Virgo. Holds feeling against analysis, with the Sun in Virgo. Often read as the point at which exhaustion, or an unlooked-for tenderness, makes itself known.
- 17 Aug 2027: Moon in Aquarius, Sun in Leo. Sets the group against the individual, since the Sun is in Leo. It is read as a time when the wish to belong and the wish to stand out are both loud. Full moon in Aquarius
Where the name Sturgeon Moon comes from
The Old Farmer's Almanac explains the name by saying that Algonquin fishing tribes around the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain found sturgeon most readily caught in late summer, and that the full Moon of the month became known for it.
How firmly any single nation can be tied to the name is unclear, and sources disagree about which waters are meant. Treat the sturgeon story as the usual explanation rather than a documented origin. The name is the label; the Moon itself is the same Moon in every month.
Other names for the August full moon
- Green Corn Moon: An August name listed by the Farmers' Almanac (the Maine publication, separate from the Old Farmer's Almanac), for the corn harvest beginning.
- Grain Moon: Another harvest-based August name from the Farmers' Almanac.
- Red Moon: Also listed by the Farmers' Almanac and said to describe how a low Moon can look reddish through summer haze; it is not a distinct kind of Moon.
What the name does not mean
The name does not mean the Moon looks like a fish or that sturgeon behave differently at that moment. It is a label for the month, and in the southern hemisphere, where August is winter, it fits the season only by convention.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the Sturgeon Moon?
Because fishing peoples of the Great Lakes region are said to have found sturgeon most easily caught in August, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The explanation is traditional, and which nation first used the name is not firmly documented.
Is the Sturgeon Moon always in August?
In the almanac calendar it is the full Moon that falls in August. If August has two, the first keeps the name and the second is the calendar Blue Moon.
What does the Sturgeon Moon mean spiritually?
The name carries no fixed spiritual meaning of its own. Modern writers associate August with harvest, abundance and gratitude, and astrologers read the full Moon through its sign, which is listed for each date above.
Is the Sturgeon Moon the same as the Harvest Moon?
No. The Harvest Moon is the full Moon closest to the September equinox, usually in September and sometimes in October. The Sturgeon Moon is August's.
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