This Month's Sturgeon Moon Will Coincide With the Perseid Meteor Shower — How to See It

Get ready to stay up late — because the full moon in August 2022, aka the Sturgeon moon, is going to be a good one. Not only will it come with a significant spiritual meaning, but it will also coincide with the Perseid meteor shower.

But what is a Sturgeon moon? Keep reading for all the details on the moon, its meaning, and how and when you can catch a glimpse of our beautiful moon in all its glory this month.

This month’s full moon, better known as the Sturgeon moon, will rise in the night sky this Thursday night, Aug. 11, 2022, with its brightest glow occurring at about 9:36 p.m. ET, according to SciTechDaily.

The news outlet also notes that the 2022 Sturgeon moon will be a supermoon — and the last supermoon of the year. Some experts believe that the June and July full moons were the only true supermoons in 2022, but others have also recognized the May and August full moons as super as well.

According to NASA, a supermoon is a full moon that appears within 90 percent of perigee (a moon’s closest proximity to Earth in a month), making it appear much larger and brighter than the average full moon to us Earth dwellers.

The August full moon came to be known as the Sturgeon moon because in the past, this was the time of year that people had the most success in catching the giant sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, as per Almanac.

Sturgeon refers to a group of around 29 critically endangered fish species of the Acipenseridae family, which are native to the Northern Hemisphere’s temperate waters, according to Britannica.

The Sturgeon moon is not the only name used for the August full moon; as noted by Almanac, the Cree people called it the Flying Up Moon, while the Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest referred to it as the Mountain Shadows Moon.

Additionally, the Algonquin and Ojibwe people called it the Corn Moon, the Dakota people called it the Harvest Moon, the Anishinaabe people called it the Ricing Moon, and the Assiniboine people called it the Black Cherries Moon, in honor of the maturing crops that were traditionally gathered at this time of year, Almanac added.

This year’s Sturgeon moon also comes with a colorful spiritual meaning.

According to Bustle, full moons are typically connected to heightening our emotions, and because the 2022 Sturgeon moon full moon takes place in Aquarius, the moon’s spiritual meaning has to do with stepping out of the mold, exploring our own uniqueness, and doing what your heart desires.

Nylon adds that the August 2022 full moon provides an opportunity to set boundaries, make some changes to your life, and create the life for yourself that you’ve always wanted.

It’s not just the Sturgeon moon that will be lighting up the night sky on Aug. 11, 2022. According to the American Meteor Society, the Perseid meteor shower, which is active from July 14 to Sept. 1, will peak on the night of Aug. 11 going into Aug. 12.

Space.com notes that this year’s Perseids are actually expected to be a bit less amazing than they were a year ago, since the Sturgeon full moon will be stealing some of the sky’s brightness — meaning you won’t want to miss this rare double celestial event.