The first of two full moons taking place in August is set to rise in the South Central Texas sky on Tuesday, August 1.
Key points
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- The Full Sturgeon Moon will start to rise in the sky at 8:55 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1.
- This full moon is also a supermoon, meaning the moon’s orbit will be nearing its closest point to Earth.
- The supermoon will appear slightly larger and brighter than a typical full moon.
- Another supermoon will take place on Wednesday, August 30.
- Known as the “Blue Moon,” this second supermoon will be the closest, biggest and brightest full supermoon in 2023.
Characteristics of the Full Sturgeon Moon
A full moon occurs when the moon is positioned opposite the Sun in relation to our view on Earth. Each full moon that occurs in a given year typically consists of different characteristics, all depending on the path that they take across the sky.
The Sturgeon Moon takes place after the Buck Moon, which occurred back in early July.
How did the August Sturgeon Moon get its name? Traditionally, this was the time of year when the large sturgeon fish were easiest to catch in the Great Lakes region, thus leading to the name. A few others referred to it as the Full Red Moon due to the reddish haze that can sometimes be found in the late summer.
Moonrise/moonset times in San Antonio
The Sturgeon Moon officially becomes full on Tuesday at 1:31 p.m. CDT, but won’t start to rise until 8:55 p.m. in San Antonio.
It’s currently looking like we’ll have decent viewing conditions Tuesday evening. Once outside, look off to the east-southeast as it starts to rise in the South Central Texas sky.
Here’s a look at our sunset, moonrise, and moonset times in San Antonio in the days ahead:
| Date | Sunset | Moonrise | Moonset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, July 31 | 8:26 p.m. | 8:05 p.m. | 5:15 a.m. Monday |
| Tuesday, August 1 | 8:26 p.m. | 8:55 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. Tuesday |
| Wednesday, August 2 | 8:25 p.m. | 9:38 p.m. | 7:44 a.m. Wednesday |
| Thursday, August 3 | 8:24 p.m. | 10:16 p.m. | 8:56 a.m. Thursday |
(Sunset, moonrise & moonset times via timeanddate.com)
The next full moon: The Blue Moon
This year, August features two full moons! The second (and rare) is called the Full Blue Moon, denoting the second full moon that occurs within a given month.
The Full Blue Moon will also be a supermoon, and is slated to be the largest and brightest supermoon of the year! This moon will occur on Wednesday, August 30.
Take a photo or video? We’d love to see them!
If you happen to capture a photo or video of these upcoming full moons that you’d be willing to share, upload them to KSAT Connect and we may use them on air!
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