This weekend August 21-22, Cochranites will be treated to the Full Sturgeon Blue Moon.

The full moon is called blue not because of the colour but because of the rarity in which it happens.

Usually, a season whether winter, spring, summer, or fall will experience three full moons. However, on occasion, a season may have four full moons and if that happens, the third full moon of the season is called a seasonal Blue Moon.

That is the case for August of 2021.

The full moon will appear on the night of Saturday, August 21, and will reach its peak fullness on the morning of Sunday, August 22nd.

Why is the August full moon called Sturgeon?

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, full moon names derive from different cultures including, Native America, Colonial America, and European sources. The full moon name is generally applied to the entire lunar month and not just the night of the full moon.

August’s full moon name Sturgeon, is called that because of the giant sturgeon fish in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain and the fact that they were easily caught during this time of the year.

There are other August moon names including:

Flying Up Moon, a Cree term describing the time when young birds are ready to fly.

 Corn Moon from Algonquin and Ojibwe, Harvest Moon from Dakota, and Ricing Moon from Anishinaabe all signifying the maturing of crops.

The Assiniboine people named the August moon Black Cherries Moon because of the ripening of chokecherries.

Whatever, you choose to call the August full moon, it will be a couple of years before we see another Blue Moon which will happen on August 30, 2023.

Hopefully, the sky will be clear this weekend and you will be able to enjoy the Full Sturgeon Blue Moon.