July - Buck Moon: This is the time of year when male deer regrow their antlers.Anyway, this is the time in North America when we harvest strawberries. June - Strawberry Moon: Now the song "Strawberry Fields Forever" is stuck in my head.So, to that end, the reason for the flower moon! May - Flower Moon: As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers.Instead, this full moon was named after the color of an early-blooming wildflower. Unfortunately, that's not the reason for the name. April - Pink Moon: This one was always my favorite name growing up because my favorite color is pink.In March, the ground starts to thaw, gearing up for spring. March - Worm Moon: This one sounds weird but makes sense.February - Snow Moon: Since it often snows during this month, the full moon name fits.January - Wolf Moon: This was named after the wolves howling for hunger due to the lack of food in winter.Waning Crescent: One little crescent is left illuminated before eventually returning to its "invisible" phase, otherwise known as the new moon.ĭid you know each full moon has a nickname? Throughout time, groups would designate a name to a full moon based on what was going on around them during that time.Īlthough there is typically about one full moon per month, some calendar years may allow for 13. Third Quarter: Like the first quarter, although it appears half-lit, it is half of the half you can see (thus making it a quarter). At this phase, the moon appears to us three-fourths lit. Waning Gibbous: Here, we start going backward, and each night, less and less of the moon will appear. Instead, the sun will illuminate the front half of the moon facing the Earth. Waxing Gibbous: Most of the moon is illuminated in this phase, and more of it shows each night leading up to the full moon.įull Moon: This will be the complete opposite of the new moon. Therefore, when you take half of half, you get a quarter! So, you're probably thinking, 'why is this not called the half moon?' Remember, you're only seeing half of the moon at any time because the other half is facing the sun. In this phase, the moon appears to be half-lit. Regardless, in this phase, only a sliver of the moon is apparent.įirst Quarter: This one always gets me. Then you can tell if it's becoming more or less illuminated. For these "in-between" phases, it helps to monitor the progression of the moon's lit surface each night. Waxing Crescent: Things get a little bit trickier when differentiating between waxing and waning. That's because, at this point, the sun illuminates the back of the moon not facing the Earth. With the new moon, it will look as if the moon is missing entirely from the sky. New Moon: The full moon and this phase are the two easiest phases to identify. When the moon is "waxing," it will appear more illuminated, and when it is "waning," less of it will illuminate night by night. The one thing that will help you is remembering the title of this blog. Once you know what the different phases look like, it'll be easier for you to identify them in the sky.
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