On the evening of February 21, 2024, the bright waxing gibbous moon will shine near Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of Gemini. And it’ll be very close to the faint Beehive star cluster, which you likely won’t see in the moon’s glare, unless you’re an experienced stargazer. Ah, but when the moon moves away! In a dark sky, the Beehive is an easy target with binoculars. They’ll all rise before sunset and travel across the sky’s dome until a little before sunrise.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

February 17-25 mornings: Venus and Mars pair up

Here’s something worth getting up to see! Bright Venus pairs up with much-dimmer Mars from February 17 to 25, 2024. Mars is just now returning to our early morning sky after being behind the sun from Earth. It’ll be rising higher each morning, and it’ll pass brighter Venus, which is descending into the sunrise glare. So it’s a very bright object near a faint one! Fun to see. Mars and Venus will be closest to each other around February 21 and 22.

To enhance your view of Venus and Mars, use binoculars.

EarthSky Minute: Two morning planets

Solar eclipse countdown!

A total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024. February 21, 2024, is 47 days until eclipse day. In this episode, Marcy Curran shares some fun facts of solar eclipses.

EarthSky Minute: February moon phases

February 22 and 23 evenings: Moon near Regulus

On the evenings of February 22 and 23, 2024, the waxing gibbous moon will float near the star Regulus, marking the bottom of the backward question mark asterism called the Sickle. Regulus is the brightest star in Leo the Lion. They’ll be visible through dawn.

February 24, all night: Full Snow Moon

The instant of full moon – often called the Snow Moon – will fall at 12:30 UTC (6:30 a.m. CST) on February 24, 2024. But of course every full moon rises into your local sky around sunset … and sets around sunrise. This February full moon will be the smallest – most distant – full moon in 2024 at 252,225 miles (405,917 kilometers) away.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

February 24 and 25 evenings: Moon near Regulus and Leo

On the evening of February 24, 2024, the full moon will pass the hindquarters of Leo the Lion. The waning gibbous moon will be approaching Leo on the evening of February 25. They’ll be visible all night.

Moon at apogee February 25

The moon will reach apogee – its farthest distance from Earth in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 15 UTC (9 a.m. CST) on February 25, 2024, when it’s 252,470 miles (406,312 kilometers) away.

February 25 and 26 mornings: Moon near Regulus and Leo

On the mornings of February 25 and 26, 2024, the waning gibbous moon will lie near Regulus, the bright star marking the bottom of the backward question mark asterism called the Sickle. Regulus is the brightest star in Leo the Lion. They’ll rise the night before and be opposite the sun in the morning sky.

February 26 – March 11: Zodiacal light

The zodiacal light may be visible after evening twilight for Northern Hemisphere observers for the next two weeks. Southern Hemisphere observers? Look for it before morning twilight begins.

February 28: Mercury moves behind the sun

Mercury will move behind the sun on February 28. This point in its orbit is called superior conjunction. It will return to our evening sky in mid-March.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

February 28 and 29 mornings: Moon near Spica

On the mornings of February 28 and 29, 2024, the waning gibbous moon will hang near the bright star Spica in Virgo the Maiden.

Visible planets in February 2024

Mid-February mornings: Venus and Mars

In the middle of February, Mars will move close to brilliant Venus. They’ll be an interesting contrast in brightness, with Venus shining at magnitude -3.9 and Mars shining at +1.3. So Venus is roughly 100 times brighter than Mars. They will be at their closest on February 21 and 22, 2024. Then Venus will continue to descend closer to the sunrise each day, while Mars climbs out of the morning twilight.

Late February mornings: Venus and Mars

By the end of February, Venus will slowly be approaching the horizon before disappearing from the morning sky in March. And Mars will be climbing higher each day away from brilliant Venus. Mars remains a morning object through all of 2024.

February evenings: Jupiter

Bright Jupiter will draw your attention until around midnight in February 2024. It will be obvious high in the sky at sunset and will be visible until around midnight. It will shine near the pretty Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Jupiter reached perihelion – or closest point to Earth – in early November. And it reached opposition overnight on November 2-3, 2023, when we flew between it and the sun. So, as Jupiter recedes from Earth, it’ll fade a bit in our sky. It will lie in the dim constellation Aries the Ram, and it’ll shine at -2.2 magnitude by month’s end. The 1st quarter moon will float by Jupiter on February 15, 2024.

Where’s Saturn?

Saturn will be in conjunction with the sun on February 28, 2024. It’ll emerge in the morning sky after mid-March.

Thank you to all who submit images to EarthSky Community Photos! View community photos here. We love you all. Submit your photo here.

Looking for a dark sky? Check out EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze.

Sky dome maps for visible planets and night sky

The sky dome maps come from master astronomy chart-maker Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2024 in his Astronomical Calendar.

Guy Ottewell explains sky dome maps

Heliocentric solar system visible planets and more

The sun-centered charts come from Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2024 in his Astronomical Calendar.

Guy Ottewell explains heliocentric charts.

Some resources to enjoy

For more videos of great night sky events, visit EarthSky’s YouTube page.

Watch EarthSky’s video about Two Great Solar Eclipses Coming Up

Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to daily emails from EarthSky. It’s free!

Visit EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze to find a dark-sky location near you.

Post your own night sky photos at EarthSky Community Photos.

Translate Universal Time (UTC) to your time.

See the indispensable Observer’s Handbook, from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Visit Stellarium-Web.org for precise views from your location.

Almanac: Bright visible planets (rise and set times for your location).

Visit TheSkyLive for precise views from your location.

Bottom line: Visible planets in February. On February 21, we’re 47 days from eclipse day! See the moon, Castor, Pollux and the faint Beehive before sunset until a little before sunrise.

The post Visible planets and night sky for February first appeared on EarthSky.

When and where to look in 2024: Look for the bright, round, full moon to rise in the east near sunset on January 25, 2024. It’ll be glowing nearly overhead around midnight, and dropping low in the west near sunrise.
Crest of the full moon falls at 17:54 UTC on January 25. That’s 11:54 a.m. CST.

January’s full moon is the Wolf Moon

All full moons have popular nicknames. January’s full moon is often called the Wolf Moon because – in parts of the world where they live – wolves are active in January and often howl on cold nights. Other names derived from North American indigenous people also refer to January’s cold. They include the Cold Moon, Frost Exploding Moon, Freeze Up Moon, and Hard Moon.

2024 lunar calendars on sale now. Makes a great gift! Check it out here.

January full moon path

At full moon, the sun, Earth, and the moon align in space, with Earth in the middle. As a result, the moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. That is why the moon appears full. Also – as seen from the Northern Hemisphere – the sun travels daily in a short, low arc across the January sky. On the other hand, the full moon, opposite the sun in the sky, travels in a long, high arc across the sky, and passes nearly overhead around local midnight. Meanwhile, as seen from the Southern Hemisphere, the January sun is high, and the moon is low.

January’s full moon in front of Cancer

The January full moon can lie in front of one of two constellations of the zodiac. If the full moon falls in the first half of the month, as it did last year, it lands in Gemini the Twins. If it happens during the second half, as it does this year, it falls in Cancer the Crab.

The moon is roundest on the day when it is full, but it appears almost, but not quite full the day before and after. On the evening of this January’s full moon, the twin stars of Gemini, Castor (the dimmer one) and Pollux (the brighter one) shine nearby. However, the bright moonlight may make these two famous stars dim or even invisible. If you can’t spot them, rest assured, they are still there!

The full moon glows next to the Beehive

The pretty, but dim Beehive star cluster twinkles immediately below the full moon. It is much dimmer than Castor and Pollux, and it will be much closer to the bright moon making it indiscernible. So, to see the Beehive properly, you’ll need to come back when a bright moon isn’t in the sky.

January full moon and the July sun

Every full moon stays – more or less – opposite the sun. The moon’s path roughly follows the sun’s daytime path from six months ago, and six months from now.

In the Northern Hemisphere, you can see this happening as you watch the January full moon rise to almost the top of the sky, just as the sun does in July.

For the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the same effect, but reversed. Since it’s early summer there, the full moon in January rides low in the sky as the January sun rides high.

Tracing the high path of the January full moon

You can experiment with the path of the sun and moon. Simply trace a line with your finger from east to west along a low arc above the southern horizon to emulate the sun’s January path. Then trace another path high overhead to emulate the moon’s path in January. You’ll see that the higher path will be much longer than the lower one.

The monthly paths come into balance

Little by little, we can watch the two paths come back into balance. Each month, the full moon will cross the sky at a slightly lower arc than the previous month. Each successive full moon takes less time than the previous one to cross the sky. Since last month’s full moon was closest to the winter solstice, it rose the highest. At March’s full moon, which is near the Northern Hemisphere’s spring equinox, the two paths – of the moon and of the sun – will nearly be the same.

Then, near the June solstice, those of us in the Northern Hemisphere see the sun cross high overhead during the year’s longest days. And, during the short northern summer nights, we see the moon cross lower and spend less time in the sky.

And on the cycle goes.

Bottom line: The 2024 January full moon falls on January 25 at 17:54 UTC (11:54 a.m. CST). It’s in Cancer and appears nearby the Beehive star cluster. It also closely follows the path of the sun in July.

The post January full moon is the Wolf Moon. See it tonight! first appeared on EarthSky.

Best sky scenes of 2024

Mark your calendars for the best stargazing events for 2024. From planetary pairings to a solar eclipse, from meteors to a possible spectacular comet, and from star clusters to star-forming nebulae … here they are.

Remember, for a precise view from your location, visit the free online planetarium Stellarium. Enter your location and the date of the event to see a replica of the sky where you live.

Available now! 2024 EarthSky lunar calendar. Makes a great New Year’s gift!

January 8 and 9: Venus and friends

On the morning of January 8 and 9, look to the southeast for a crowded celestial scene. On the first morning, the thin crescent moon, full with earthshine, glows next to the bright red star Antares in Scorpius. Also, for skywatchers in the southwestern US, the moon passes in front of – or occults – Antares about an hour before sunrise. For everyone in the U.S., Venus brilliantly shines to their upper left. Then, 30 minutes before sunrise, little Mercury pops above the horizon, appearing to the lower left of Venus.

Later, on the following morning, an even thinner crescent moon floats below unmistakable Venus while Mercury rises a little higher than the morning before and appears next to the moon.

March 22 to 25: Mercury makes a grand appearance

Mercury always lies close to the sun. Consequently, it never appears far above either the morning or evening twilight. From March 17 through March 25, as it nears eastern elongation, the little and sometimes elusive planet shines brightly in the western twilight 40 minutes after sunset. In a clear sky, you should be able to spot it easily.

April 8: A total (and partial) solar eclipse in North America

For millions, the biggest event of the year will be the total solar eclipse that will travel along a 115-mile-wide band stretching across North America. On the afternoon of April 8, the moon moves across the disk of the sun. And, if you are in the path of totality, the moon completely covers the sun, revealing a spectacular sight. Observers outside the path will see a partial eclipse, where the moon does not completely cover the sun. To view the partial stages of this event, you must wear proper eclipse glasses. Don’t have any? Order them here before they sell out!

April 10 and 11: Moon, Jupiter and star clusters create a captivating scene

A lovely crescent moon shines near a collection of beautiful objects on the evenings of April 10 and 11. The bright point of light shining nearby is Jupiter. In addition, the dipper-shaped Pleiades star cluster – or Seven Sisters – is a favorite sight among stargazers. And the larger, V-shaped Hyades star cluster with its bright red foreground star, Aldebaran, ranks highly as well. Look west-northwest about an hour after sunset. What a great sight to end your day!

July 7: The crescent moon and Mercury

The thin crescent moon – lying low in the bright western-northwestern twilight sky on July 7 – will be a convenient guide for finding little Mercury. Simply look toward the moon about 40 minutes after sunset. The planet will be between the moon and the horizon. Binoculars give a clearer view. Place the moon at the upper edge of the field, and Mercury will be near the field’s center.

July 30 and 31: The crescent moon, Jupiter and Mars

An attractive scene plays out on the last two mornings of July. First, on July 30, the crescent moon floats among bright Jupiter, red Mars, the bright star Aldebaran, and the pretty Pleiades star cluster. They’re all in the eastern sky two hours before sunrise. Then, next morning the moon, as an even thinner crescent, hangs below the celestial grouping.

August 12: The Perseus meteor shower peaks

After 11 p.m. local time on August 11, begin looking toward the northeast for streaking meteors from the Perseid meteor shower. You can watch for meteors through dawn on the morning of August 12. Since the moon sets near midnight, its light interferes little with spotting meteors, which may number up to 50 per hour, perhaps more. They appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus, which is near the more familiar W–shaped constellation Cassiopeia. To be sure, the Perseids likely will be 2024’s best meteor shower.

August 14: Conjunction between red Mars and bright Jupiter

From mid-July through mid-August, red Mars will slowly approach bright Jupiter in Taurus the Bull. Then, on the morning of August 14, Mars will be less than the width of a full moon from Jupiter.

Late August mornings: 6 planets before sunrise

By this time, you’ve probably already seen Jupiter and Mars in the morning sky, coming off their conjunction in mid-August. You’ve probably spotted Saturn, too, farther to the west. But in late August, there are six planets in the morning sky. Can you challenge yourself to spot them all? Mercury will be rising before the sun. The later in the month you look, the better your chance to see it, creeping up from the eastern horizon. Uranus and Neptune will require optical aid and finder charts. Uranus is currently in Taurus while Neptune is in Pisces. You can use Stellarium to help track them down.

October 5, November 4 and December 4: The crescent moon meets Venus

Some of the most eye-catching sky sights happen when a crescent moon appears near the brightest planet, Venus. Indeed, three such occasions occur in fall’s evening sky. As the twilight sky deepens after sunset on October 5, November 4 and December 4, look toward the western horizon for a dramatic scene. Venus will be unmistakable shining next to the waxing crescent moon.

October 14 to 24: Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS at its brightest

A beautiful, graceful cometary apparition might be in store for us. It’s been a while since we’ve had a wispy comet tail stretch across our evening sky. This October, in particular October 14 through 24, Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS could be bright in the early evening sky. With ten months to go, all looks good for a great showing.

November 12: Venus shines near a mysterious glow

Brilliant Venus will shine low above the southwestern horizon on November 12 about an hour after sunset. And, just above it lies the mysterious star-forming nebula, M8, or the Lagoon Nebula. Center Venus in binoculars and the indistinct glow of M8 will become apparent.

December 5: Mars meets stellar bees

Mars visits the stellar bees of the Beehive star cluster in Cancer on December 5. Look northeast around 11 p.m. your local time for the red planet. Directly next to it will be the dim glow of the cluster. Use binoculars to see Mars standing over the many glittering stars of the Beehive.

Bottom line: Check out the best sky scenes of 2024! A total solar eclipse crosses North America, planets have close pairings, a comet may shine bright and more!

The post Best sky scenes of 2024: What not to miss! first appeared on EarthSky.

When and where to look in 2023: For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the bright, round full moon will rise in the east around sunset for several nights in a row: December 25, 26, and 27.
Crest of the full moon falls at 00:33 UTC on December 27. That’s 6:33 p.m. CST on December 26, and about ninety minutes after sunset in central North America. And that’s also the moment when this month’s moon is most directly opposite the sun as seen from Earth. The moon is roundest on the day when it is full, but the day before and after, it appears almost, but not quite full.

The 2024 lunar calendars are here! Best New Year’s gifts in the universe! Check ’em out here.

December full moon mimics the June sun

Every full moon is more or less opposite the sun. And a full moon’s path through the night is opposite the sun’s path. So, this December full moon’s path roughly follows the sun’s daytime path from six months ago, or six months hence. No matter where you are on Earth, notice the moon’s path on December 26-27. The Northern Hemisphere will see the December full moon rise to nearly the top of the sky, just as the sun does near the June solstice. The Southern Hemisphere will see a low moon, mimicking a low winter sun.

Here’s another way to look at it. In the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice has the least amount of daylight of the year. Since there’s still about 24 hours in a day no matter how much daylight there is, the shortest day means it must also be the longest night. So, for the moon to stay up all night and remain roughly opposite the sun, it needs to take a longer path across the sky. The higher an object crosses the sky, the longer its path and the longer it stays above the horizon.

Tracing the high path of the December full moon

To see for yourself, try this: Trace a line with your finger from east to west to emulate the sun’s path in December. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll be tracing a low arc above the southern horizon. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, you’ll be tracing a high arc above the northern horizon.

Then, with your finger, trace another path high overhead. Now you’re emulating the moon’s December path, and you’ll see it’s a longer path than the lower one. And likewise, if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, trace a low arc to emulate the moon’s December path.

Little by little, we can watch the two paths come back into balance. Each month, the full moon will cross the sky at a slightly lower arc than the previous month. Each successive full moon will take less time than the previous one to cross the sky.

What about an equinox moon?

At March’s full moon, which is near the Northern Hemisphere’s spring equinox, the two paths – of the moon and of the sun – will be nearly the same. Then, near the June solstice, those of us in the Northern Hemisphere will see the sun cross high overhead during the year’s longest days. And, during the short northern summer nights, we’ll see the moon cross a lower path on the sky dome and spend less time in the sky.

And on the cycle goes.

Names for the December full moon

Of course, now we see why they call December’s full moon the Long Night Moon.

But – like all full moons – the full moon of December has many nicknames: Long Night Moon, Full Cold Moon, and in Decembers when it falls before Christmas, Moon Before Yule. But no matter which name appeals to you, be sure to notice the moon’s high path!

Last full moon of 2023

This full moon is the last full moon of 2023. It is also the first full moon of the Northern Hemisphere’s winter – and Southern Hemisphere’s summer.

Plus it is the closest full moon this year to the December solstice, occurring just five days after. This solstice marks the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. It lands at 3:27 UTC on December 22, 2023. That’s 9:27 p.m. CDT on December 21, 2023.

December full moon in Gemini

The December full moon can lie in front of one of two constellations of the zodiac and two additional constellations. This year it lands at the foot of Gemini, but in most years it falls in Taurus. And in 2026, it will occur in the constellation , Orion. Very rarely, though, the exact moment of full moon happens when it passes along the southern edge of Auriga.

Enjoy December’s full moon!

Bottom line: The 2023 December full moon happens overnight on December 26-27, 2023. It closely follows the path of the June sun. It also lies in the zodiacal constellation Gemini and is near that constellation’s twin stars, Castor and Pollux.

The post December full moon – Long Night Moon – mimics the June sun first appeared on EarthSky.

The crest of the November 2023 full moon will fall at 3:16 a.m. CT (9:16 UTC) on Monday, November 27. So – for the Americas – the fullest moon will come overnight on Sunday, November 26. And the fullest moon for Asia will fall on November 27. But all of us will see a bright, nearly full moon this weekend. As a bonus, this weekend’s moon is near the bright planet Jupiter in the night sky.

On the night of full moon – November 26-27 – the bright, round full moon will be climbing in the east, as night falls. And we’ll all find the moon on both Sunday and Monday nights glowing high in the south near midnight and dropping low in the west near sunrise before dawn.

Full-moon is a whole-Earth event. And every full moon is opposite the sun, rising when the sun sets and setting when the sun rises. At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon form a line in space, with Earth in the middle. It’s at this time that the moon’s fully lighted hemisphere – its day side – faces Earth most directly.

And Jupiter? It’s no accident this mighty planet is near this month’s full moon. Earth passed between Jupiter and the sun in November 2023. A full moon is opposite the sun. And Jupiter was opposite the sun last month, at its opposition. So, as Earth and mighty Jupiter have moved on in their orbits around the sun, Jupiter is still nearly opposite the sun as seen from Earth. So Jupiter and this weekend’s full moon appear together in the sky.

The 2024 lunar calendars are here! Best Christmas gifts in the universe! Check ’em out here.

November full moon is Beaver or Frosty Moon

All the full moons have popular nicknames. If the full moon in November falls before November 7, it’s called the Hunter’s Moon.

Otherwise, as in 2023, you can call November’s full moon the Beaver Moon, or Frosty Moon. In November, North American beavers are preparing their dens – and stocking up on food – for the coming cold months.

We also hear the name Digging Moon for this November full moon, because of the last chances for seasonal foraging by forest animals.

The moon’s path across the sky

In the Northern Hemisphere, the sun travels across the southern sky each day in a short, low arc. So the full moon, being opposite the sun in the sky, travels in a long, high arc across the night sky. Now consider the moon’s path six months ago or six months from now. A May full moon travels in a short, low arc, while the May sun moves in a long, high arc. See? At full moon, the sun and moon are opposite each other in space.

Why is the full moon so bright?

All full moons are bright. And their strong glow lightens the sky enough to blot out all but the bright planets and brightest of stars.

There are two major reasons the full moon is so bright. First and most obviously, a full moon isn’t a point of light, like a star or a planet. It covers a much-larger area of our sky, and so reflects more of the sun’s intense light. But secondly, and most importantly, the sun is so bright. It’s some 400,000 times that of the moon. And moonlight is just reflected sunlight. So the moon isn’t really bright in and of itself. In fact, the moon’s surface has a relatively low reflectivity, similar to that of asphalt.

If the moon had a reflectivity matching that of snow, the full moon would be over five times brighter!

November full moon in Taurus

The November full moon can lie in front of one of three constellations of the zodiac. Most years, as it does this year, it falls in Taurus the Bull. But it can also be in Aries the Ram as it will be in 2025.

Very infrequently, November’s full moon lies in the sprawling constellation just southwest of Taurus, called Cetus the Whale.

The moon is roundest on the day that it’s full. But the day before and after, it appears almost, but not quite round and full in our sky.

Bottom line: The November full moon will fall overnight on November 26-27, 2023. Bright Jupiter will be nearby. And the Pleiades star cluster will lie in the moon’s glare.

The post November full moon and Jupiter this weekend first appeared on EarthSky.

When and where to look in 2023: As seen from around the globe, look for the bright, round full supermoon rising in the east at sunset on September 28. It’ll glow highest in the sky near midnight, and drop low in the west before sunrise on September 29. This is the full moon closest to the equinox and so we call it a Harvest Moon.
Crest of the full moon falls at 9:57 UTC (4:57 a.m. CDT) on September 29, 2023. So many will say that the full moon – and the Harvest Moon – falls on September 29. That’s equally true and valid!

The 2023 super Harvest Moon will lie between two bright planets. Golden Saturn will rise over an hour before the full moon and travel ahead of it in the sky through the night. Our solar system’s largest planet, very bright Jupiter, will rise about 90 minutes after the moon. See the chart above. And check Stellarium.org for a precise view from your location.

Harvest Moon isn’t just a name. It denotes a time of year when the full moon – as seen from the Northern Hemisphere – has special characteristics. Find out more about the Harvest Moon below, or check out our video.

Harvest Moon is special

We in the Northern Hemisphere have long called the full moon closest to the September equinox by the name Harvest Moon. That name – Harvest Moon – might be the best known full moon name of the year. This year, the September equinox occurs at 6:50 UTC (1:50 a.m. CDT) on September 23, 2023. The full moon falls about six days later.

What’s special about a Harvest Moon? As seen across Earth, the moon on average rises about 50 minutes later each day, as it orbits Earth. But in mid-to-late September – for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere – that moonrise time drops to 20 minutes later each day around the time of full moon. The higher the latitude, the shorter the interval between successive moonrises.

September full moon and the ecliptic

Why? It’s because the ecliptic – or path of the sun, moon and planets across our sky – makes a narrow angle with the eastern horizon near sunset, around the time of the autumn equinox. For Northern Hemisphere observers, that means September or October. For Southern Hemisphere observers, it means March or April. The narrow angle of the ecliptic to the evening horizon – around the time of the autumn equinox – gives us the short interval between successive moonrises and the Harvest Moon.

Click here for a printable calendar showing the time of moonrise for your location

And a short interval between successive moonrises means that – for several evenings in a row, around the time of this September full moon – you’ll find a full or nearly full-looking moon low in the east in evening twilight. Before the days of electric lights, the early evening light of this full moon let farmers working in the fields have more time to work, before darkness settled. Hence, the name Harvest Moon.

And, by the way, for the Southern Hemisphere at this full moon, there’s a particularly long interval between successive moonrises!

It’s also a supermoon

Yes, the September full moon is another supermoon. As you might recall, the last three full moons were supermoons as well. In fact, the September Harvest Moon is the last of four supermoons in a row for 2023.

How close is it? The moon will be 224,658 miles (361,552 km) away. Comparatively, the average distance between Earth and the moon is 238,900 miles (384,472 km). So – while the September 28-29 full moon might not look bigger to the eye – it’ll surely look brighter than an average full moon.

And of course since it’s closer than usual it’ll also be pulling harder, via gravity, on Earth’s oceans. People who live near an ocean might notice particularly high tides in the day or so after this full moon.

September full moon lies in Pisces

The September Harvest full moon always lies in front of one of three constellations of the zodiac. Most years, it lies in Pisces the Fish, as it does this year. About every three years, though, it’ll lie in Aquarius the Water Bearer, as it did last year. Very infrequently – once about every 20 years – it’ll fall in the less-familiar constellation lying to their south, Cetus the Whale.

Bottom line: The Harvest Full Moon – and last of four full supermoons in 2023 – happens overnight on September 28-29, 2023, for us in the Americas. This full moon lies in front of the constellation Pisces. And it lies between two planets, very bright Jupiter and golden Saturn.

Want to see 2023’s brightest supermoon? Photos here

Read more: Does a supermoon have a super effect on us?

The post September full moon 2023 is a super Harvest Moon first appeared on EarthSky.

The first full moon of August was August 1. And there’s another full moon on August 30-31. It’ll be the closest full moon of 2023, and therefore a supermoon. As the second full moon of the month, it’ll carry the name Blue Moon. And it’ll be near Saturn!

See an amazing photo gallery of the year’s brightest supermoon from August 30, 2023.

The 2nd full supermoon on August 30-31

Where and when to look: Look for the bright, round moon in the east shortly after sunset on August 30, 2023. It’ll be highest in the sky around midnight. And it’ll be low in the west before sunrise on August 31.
The second August 2023 lunar perigee – the moon’s closest point to Earth for the second time this month – will fall at 16 UTC (11 a.m. CDT) on August 30.
The crest of this second August full moon will fall at 1:36 UTC on August 31 (8:36 p.m. CDT on August 30). For us in the Americas, the full moon will rise near the time it’s precisely full on August 30.
Note: The August 30-31 full moon will lie in the direction of the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer.

A full supermoon and Blue Moon near Saturn

The August 30-31, 2023, Blue Moon will light up the sky. It’s the 3rd of 4 supermoons in a row. And it will be the closest (biggest) full supermoon in 2023! It may not look bigger to the eye, but it’ll sure look brighter.

How close is it? The moon will be 222,043 miles (357,344 km) away. Comparatively, the average distance between Earth and the moon is 240,000 miles (386,242 km).

And if a month has two full moons, the second one is called a Blue Moon.

Then, look for a bright point of light near the moon; that’s the beautiful planet Saturn.

You don’t need any optical aid to enjoy this lovely pairing of the full Blue Moon supermoon and Saturn. At their closest, the duo will be two degrees – the width of four full moons – apart.

Blue Moon meets Saturn

The August 30 Blue Moon will light the sky around it, blotting out all but the brightest stars. But look carefully in the bright moonlight. And you’ll see a starlike object. It’s not a star; it’s Saturn, the 6th planet from the sun.

And Saturn is at its brightest now. That’s because Saturn reached opposition, when we flew between Saturn and the sun, on August 27. So it’s in a wonderful place to see now, rising in the east in the evening and setting in the west at sunrise.

At opposition, the ringed planet shines at its brightest for 2023, at magnitude 0.4. It’s also when Saturn is at its least distance from Earth for 2023. It’s 73 light-minutes (about 8.8 astronomical units) away.

Saturn’s disk size is largest now, appearing 19 arcseconds across. And Saturn’s rings are tilted by 8.1 degrees, relative to earthly viewers. They span 44.2 arcseconds.

Thus, opposition marks the middle of the best time of year to see Saturn, or any outer planet. And any small backyard telescope will show the rings of Saturn.

Rise in the east, set in the west

For locations outside of the polar regions, all full moons rise in the east close to the time of sunset. And likewise, all full moons set in the west close to the time of sunrise. At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in space, with Earth in the middle.

So the full moon is opposite the sun, visible all night. And, the moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. That’s why the moon appears full.

Full moon names

All the full moons have names. Popular ones for the first full moon of August include Corn Moon and Sturgeon Moon. The name Sturgeon Moon recognizes the August peak of the sturgeon fish catch in the waters of North America’s Great Lakes. In addition, we’ve also heard the name Flying Up Moon for the August full moon.

Of course, in the lore of the sky, all of those names belonged to the first full moon on August. That’s why this second full moon goes by the name Blue Moon.

Read: Full moon names by month and by season

Bottom line: The August full moon occurs twice in 2023. Both are supermoons. The 1st full moon was August 1. The 2nd – also called a Blue Moon – is August 30-31.

Read more: Does a supermoon have a super effect on us?

The post August full moon: a Blue supermoon near Saturn first appeared on EarthSky.

When to watch in 2023: Overnight of July 2-3.
Where to look: Look for the bright round moon in the east today at evening, highest in the sky around midnight, and in the west before sunrise tomorrow morning.
Crest of the full moon falls at 11:39 UTC (6:39 a.m. CDT) on July 3. So, if you live in either North or South America, your fullest moon hangs somewhere above the western horizon just before sunrise tomorrow morning.

All full moons rise along the eastern horizon near sunset, and set along the western horizon near sunrise. They are visible all night. At full moon, the sun, Earth and moon are aligned in space, with Earth in the middle. The moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. That’s why the moon appears full. Note that the moon will look full and round the day before and the day after it reaches its fullest.

It’s the Buck Moon

All the full moons have names. Popular nicknames for the July full moon include the Feather Molting Moon and the Salmon Moon, but Buck Moon is the most common. At this time of year, the antlers of male deer grow rapidly, sometimes to impressive sizes. Hence, the name Buck Moon. Some Native Americans used the names Thunder Moon, Berry Moon and Raspberry Moon.

Read more: Full moon names by month and by season

Read more: Traditional full moon names and their meanings

It’s also a Supermoon

Also, this July’s full moon is a supermoon because it occurs near its closet orbital point to Earth. Does a supermoon appear larger than ordinary full moons?

While it’s true experienced observers do say they can detect a difference, you’d have to be a very keen observer to notice it. Truly, most of us can’t tell any difference in the size of a supermoon and an ordinary full moon.

But … do supermoons look brighter than ordinary full moons? Yes! By a noticeable amount. That’s because a supermoon exceeds the disk size of an average-sized moon by up to 8% and the brightness of an average-sized full moon by some 16%. And then, it exceeds the disk size of a micro-moon (a year’s most distant and therefore smallest full moon) up to 14% and the brightness of a micro-moon by some 30%. So, if you go outside on the night of July 2-3, there’s the potential you’ll notice the supermoon is exceptionally bright!

July full moon is in Sagittarius in 2023

The July full moon can lie in front of two constellations of the zodiac. The most often one is Sagittarius the Archer. The second is the constellation to Sagittarius’ east, Capricornus the Sea Goat. This full moon glows in front of the central part of the Teapot asterism. Because of the bright moonlight, the eight stars comprising the Teapot will be difficult to see with the unaided eye.

This July full moon mimics December sun

Because a full moon more or less stays opposite the sun, the full moon’s nighttime path mimics the sun’s daytime path from six months ago, or six months hence.

This full moon is the one closest to the June solstice – happening twelve days after it – so this full moon follows nearly the same path across the sky as the December solstice sun. The December solstice is the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice. So, the moon’s trek on the nights around this July’s full moon resembles the low path of the winter solstice sun.

North of the Arctic Circle, the wintertime sun never climbs above the horizon. Neither will this July’s full moon.

Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, the moon’s path across the sky will mirror that of the high summer solstice sun.

And, south of the Antarctic Circle, the moon will be out for 24 hours around the clock, simulating the midnight sun of summer.

Arc of the July full moon, Northern Hemisphere

The moon’s arc across our sky varies from month to month and from season to season. Every full moon rises somewhere along the eastern horizon, opposite the sun as it sets in the west. And every full moon arcs across the sky throughout the night and sets along the western horizon around dawn. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, in most years the arc of the June’s full moon is lower than the paths of the full moons since December. However, this year, the July 3rd full moon arcs slightly lower because it falls closer to the June solstice than the June 4th full moon.

Arc of the July full moon, Southern Hemisphere

For those in the Southern Hemisphere, the full moon’s arc across the sky is climbing higher with each successive month since December, reaching its highest at the full moon falling closest to the June solstice, which occurs sometime from mid-June through early July. In 2023, even though the June 4th full moon is close to the solstice, the July 3rd full moon is closer.

Bottom line: The July full moon – the Buck Moon – falls overnight tonight, reaching its fullest at 11:39 UTC (that’s 6:39 a.m. CDT) tomorrow night. It’s also a supermoon.

The post July full moon is the Buck Moon and a supermoon first appeared on EarthSky.

When to watch in 2023: Overnight of June 3.
Where to look: lLook for the bright round moon in the east in the evening, highest in the sky around midnight, and in the west before sunrise.
Crest of the full moon falls at 3:42 UTC on June 4, 2023. That’s 10:42 p.m. CDT on June 3 in central North America. So if you live in either North or South America, your fullest moon hangs in the southeast after sunset on June 3.

In fact, all full moons rise along the eastern horizon near sunset, and set along the western horizon near sunrise. And they are visible all night as they trek across the sky. At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in space with Earth in the middle. That’s because the moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. That’s why the moon appears full. Also note that the moon will look full and round for a day or two around full moon.

It’s the Strawberry Moon

All full moons have names. In Europe, popular names for the June full moon include the Honey Moon and the Mead Moon. Some Native Americans used the name Strawberry Moon for the June full moon, and that name is still the most common in North America. The name Strawberry Moon highlights the time of year when many species of berries ripen, particularly sweet strawberries.

Read: Full moon names by month and by season

June full moon is in Scorpius in 2023

The June 2023 full moon can lie in front of one of three constellations of the zodiac. First, it can lie in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion. The second is the lesser-known constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. And the third is Sagittarius the Archer.

As seen from the Americas, the full moon on the night of June 3, 2023 will be located in the direction of Scorpius. You’ll notice a bright star nearby. It’s Antares, known as the Scorpion’s Heart.

When it rises on June 4, the moon will still appear full. On that night, from the Americas, it’ll be near the foot of Sagittarius the Archer and eastward of the previous night’s location. And it’ll be near the noticeable asterism called the Teapot.

June full moon mimics December sun

Because a full moon stays more or less opposite the sun, the full moon’s nighttime path mimics the sun’s daytime path from six months ago, or six months hence.

This full moon occurs close to the June solstice, so the moon follows nearly the same path across the sky as the December solstice sun. The December solstice is the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice. So the moon’s trek on the nights around the June full moon will resemble the low path of the winter solstice sun.

North of the Arctic Circle, the wintertime sun never climbs above the horizon. So neither will this June full moon.

Meanwhile – in the Southern Hemisphere – the June full moon’s flight across the sky will mirror that of the high summer solstice sun.

And, south of the Antarctic Circle, the moon will be out for 24 hours around the clock, simulating the midnight sun of summer.

Arc of the June full moon

The moon’s arc across our sky varies from month to month and season to season. Every full moon rises along the eastern horizon, opposite the sun as it sets in the west. And every full moon arcs across the sky throughout the night, and sets along the western horizon around dawn. So for viewers in the Northern Hemisphere, the arc of June’s full moon is lower than the paths of the full moons since December. This year, the July 3rd full moon arcs slightly lower because it occurs closer to the solstice on June 21 than the June 4th full moon.

For those in the Southern Hemisphere, the full moon’s arc across the sky is climbing higher with each successive month since December, reaching its highest at the full moon falling closest to the June solstice, which occurs sometime from mid June through early July. That’s because in 2023, even though the June 3rd full moon is close to the solstice, the July 3rd full moon falls closer.

Bottom line: The June full moon – the Strawberry Moon – occurs on the overnight of June 3, 2023.

Farmers’ Almanac Full Moon Calendar

The post Full moon in June mimics path of December sun first appeared on EarthSky.

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When to watch in 2023: Before sunrise and after sunset on May 5.
Where to look: Look for the bright round moon low in the southwest before sunrise, and low in the southeast after sunset on May 5. It appears full during the nights of May 4 and May 5.
Crest of the full moon falls at 17:34 UTC on May 5, 2023. That’s 12:34 p.m. CDT on May 5 in central North America. So, if you live in central North America, your fullest moon falls mid-way between sunrise and sunset on May 5 when it is on the other side of Earth, and, therefore, can’t be seen. The rising moon in the southeast on that morning will resemble the setting moon in the southwest that evening.

A penumbral lunar eclipse in central Asia

This full moon coincides with a penumbral eclipse of the moon. The eclipse is not visible in the Americas, but it is visible in central Asia. Since the moon will not lie in the dark umbral shadow, but in the lightly shaded penumbral shadow instead, the eclipse event might not be easily noticeable. During the eclipse, the full moon lies in Libra the Scales next to the star Zubenelgenubi.

Moon looks full over 3 nights

At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon align in space, with Earth in the middle. The moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – faces us. That’s why the moon looks full. Note that the moon will look round for a day or two around full moon. Because the May full moon occurs near mid-day on May 5, the moon will look full on the overnights of May 4, 5, and 6.

It’s the Flower Moon

All the full moons have nicknames. Popular names for May’s full moon include the Planting Moon and the Milk Moon, but the Flower Moon is the most common. As you might expect, the name Flower Moon recognizes the blooming of wildflowers and garden flowers, many giving an enchanting appearance in the light of May’s full moon.

Arc of the May full moon

The moon’s arc across our sky varies from month to month and from season to season. Every full moon rises along the eastern horizon, opposite the sun as it sets in the west. Every full moon arcs across the sky throughout the night and sets along the western horizon around dawn. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the arc of May’s full moon is lower than the paths of the full moons since December, but higher than the next one in June.

For those in the Southern Hemisphere, the full moon’s arc across the sky is climbing higher with each successive month since December, and will continue to do so until the full moon nearest the June solstice.

The May full moon is in Libra

As seen from the Americas, the full moon on the morning and evening of May 5 is located in the direction of the constellation Libra the Scales. It glows near Libra’s “surprise” star all night. That surprise star is the moderately bright Zubenelgenubi. Zubenelgenubi is a surprise star because people with keen eyesight see it as two stars, and binocular users readily catch its double star nature. Also, on the evening of May 5, the full moon lies close to the red star Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion.

Bottom line: The May full moon occurs near mid-day today, May 5. The moon looks full on the overnights of May 4, 5, and 6.

The post May full moon is the Flower Moon first appeared on EarthSky.