The Next Full Moon Is The Sturgeon Moon

As always, from my fellow colleague, J.Fesler:

Before I write about the next full Moon, don’t forget to wave at Saturn between 5:27 to 5:42 pm EDT today (Friday, July 19, 2013)!  The Cassini spacecraft, which is currently in orbit around Saturn, will be in the shadow of Saturn, a fairly rare event that will allow it to turn its cameras in the direction of the Sun and observe the backlit glow of Saturn’s rings and atmosphere.  As part of these observations, Cassini will also image the Earth.  It will take the spacecraft about 15 minutes to acquire the images that include the Earth.  From the Washington, DC area, Saturn will be in the southeast about 30 degrees above the horizon but will not be visible because of the daylight.  We wave at Saturn and the Cassini spacecraft between 5:27 and 5:42 pm EDT, but Cassini will not take the images until about 80 minutes later, because this is how long it will take light to travel the 1.44 billion kilometers (898 million miles) from Earth to Saturn.

The next full Moon is on Monday, July 22, 2013, appearing opposite the Sun (in Earth based longitude) at 2:16 pm EDT.  The Moon will appear full for about 3 days around this time, from Sunday Morning into Wednesday morning.

The Native Americans fishing tribes of what is now the northern and eastern United States are given credit for the naming the first full Moon of Summer the Sturgeon Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were more readily caught at this time of year.  A few tribes knew this as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through the sultry hazes of summer.  It was also called the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.  Note that some attribute these Native American names to the full Moon in August rather than the first full Moon of summer, going by the months rather than the seasons, and they call this the Full Buck Moon, the Full Thunder Moon, or the Full Hay Moon.  For Hindus this is the Guru Full Moon (Guru Purnima) and is celebrated as a time for clearing the mind and honoring the guru or spiritual master.

As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon.  Perhaps you should consider reading some Theodore Sturgeon in honor of this full Moon as well, and set aside some time to clear your mind.

As to other celestial events between now and the full Moon after next:

Venus is now the evening star, shining brightly in the west after sunset.  Over the next lunar cycle Venus will gradually appear higher in the evening sky and become more visible.  Also in the evening, Saturn is in the southwest (from the northern latitudes), and will be shifting towards the west.  In the morning, Jupiter has swung around the far side of the Sun and is now visible as the brightest object (other than the Moon and Sun, of course) in the morning sky.  Mars is also in the morning sky, and Mercury will make a brief appearance at the end of July.

On Sunday and Monday evenings, July 21 and 22, 2013, just as the sky darkens at twilight (about 9:30 pm EDT for the Washington, DC area), Venus will appear to pass by the bright star Regulus.  You will need a clear view of the horizon a little to the north of west, as they will appear only about 5 degrees above the horizon.

For a couple of mornings around Monday, July 22, 2013, the two planets Jupiter and Mars will appear close to each other.  Look to the east northeast, about 5 degrees above the horizon, before the sky starts to lighten with dawn (around 5 am EDT for the Washington, DC area).

As mentioned above, the full Moon is on Monday, July 22, 2013.

On Friday, July 26, 2013, a 30 to 66 meter diameter object will pass about 9.3 lunar distances from the Earth, traveling at about 11.5 kilometers per second relative to the Earth.

Only if you are a diehard meteor watcher would I recommend you try looking for the  in late July, as moonlight will interfere.  If you are a diehard meter watcher, you know how to find out when this is and where to look.

On Monday, July 29, 2013, the last quarter Moon will appear half full in the morning sky (and its light will interfere with viewing the Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower).

On Monday, July 29, 2013, a 95 to 210 meter diameter object will pass about 7.6 lunar distances from the Earth, traveling at about 14.5 kilometers per second relative to the Earth.

On Tuesday, July 30, 2013, Mercury will appear at its greatest elongation westward from the Sun, visible in the morning sky.  Mercury joins Mars and Jupiter in the dawn sky, best viewed in binoculars about half an hour before sunrise (look between about 5 and 5:30 am EDT for the Washington, DC area).  Mercury will be between 5 and 10 degrees above the horizon in the east northeast, with Mars almost directly above and Jupiter higher still and a little to the right.

In the morning before sunrise on Thursday, August 1, 2013, look for the bright star Aldebaran below and to the right of the waning crescent Moon.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013 is the new Moon.

On Friday, August 9, 2013, a 260 to 580 meter diameter object will pass about 8.1 lunar distances from the Earth, traveling at about 8.4 kilometers per second relative to the Earth.

During the night and early morning between Sunday and Monday, August 11 and 12, 2013, will be the peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers of the year, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. The Perseids are caused by dust from the comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. To get the best show, you will need to be in a dark location far from city lights, with a clear view of the sky, and the sky needs to be clear with few clouds and no haze.  The meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.  The best time to look is after midnight but before the sky starts to lighten with dawn.  The shower extends from July 17 to August 24 (with meteor rates falling off away from the peak).

On Monday, August 12, 2013, in the evening sky after twilight (about 9:10 pm EDT for the Washington, DC area), Venus will be in the west, and Saturn, the waxing crescent Moon, and the bright star Spica will be lined up in the southwest.

The full Moon after next will be on Saturday, August 20, 2013 (in EDT, most calendars show this on August 21 as they use UTC or GMT).