The full moon this month is on Aug. 9, coming days before another stunning sight that Californians will want to see — the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.
The full moon will reach peak illumination at 12:55 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. But a moon will appear full for a couple of days, said NASA, so you do have some time to look up at the sky.
What time does the moon rise across California?
See when the moon rises in select cities in California on Aug. 8, according to Time and Date:
Will I be able to see the full moon in California tonight?
Northern California is forecasted to see largely clear skies as of 8 p.m. on Aug. 8, according to the National Weather Service.
A forecast that shows the percentage of opaque clouds expected to cover the sky for the hour shows that most of the northern portion of the state, extending toward central California, will see less than 20% of opaque clouds covering the skies.
At the same time, in southern and central California, large swaths of the state will have clear skies, although residents along the coast of the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara county area are forecasted to have cloudy skies that could obscure their sight.
Skies remain largely clear for most of the state later in the night at 11 p.m., according to the NWS.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon is on Sept. 7.
How often is there a full moon?
A complete lunar cycle in which the moon transitions through its eight phases, including a full moon, is 29.5 days long, according to NASA. Then, it repeats, allowing us to see 12 full moons a year (and occasionally, 13 full moons due to how our calendar lines up with the moon phases, explained Space.com).
Why is it called the sturgeon moon? Sturgeon moon meaning
The Old Farmer’s Almanac explains that their full moon names have differing origins, including Native American and European sources. August’s full moon is named after the sturgeon, a fish, as it was an “important food staple for Native Americans” living in the regions of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. But the full moon in August is also known by different names among other Indigenous peoples, the almanac said.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Is it a full moon tonight? When to view the sturgeon moon across California
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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