August’s Full Blue Moon: The Full Sturgeon Moon will be 100% full August 20 at 6:45 P.M Las Vegas time.
Full Moon Names
August is the month of the Full Sturgeon Moon. Some Native American tribes knew that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this full Moon. Others called it the Green Corn Moon or the Grain Moon.
The following video, featuring Amy Nieskens, is from The Old Farmer’s Almanac
Comments
By Tom Weston
"In 2013, the August moon will REALLY be a Blue Moon. That is, it will be the third full moon in the summer season which has four full moons in 2013. This is the original, correct definition of a Blue Moon. The definition about the second full moon in a month is a more recent simplified usage."
BACK EAST
Historically, the Native Americans who lived in the area that is now the northern and eastern United States kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to the recurring full Moons. Each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred. These names, and some variations, were used by the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.
Creek
Southeast, Alabama, Georgia
According to WWU, in the Creek language the name for August's Moon is: "hiyo-rakko" “Moon of the Big Harvest.”
OUT WEST
From Western Washington University:
American Indians gave names to each of the full moons to keep track of the passing year. The names are associated with the entire month until the next full moon occurs. Since a lunar month averages 29 days, the dates of the moons change from year to year. Here [is the information from one tribe.]
Kalapuya
Pacific Northwest, Oregon
According to WWU, in the Kalapuya language the name for August's Moon is: "akupiu" “End of Summer Moon.”
From WIKI
"The descendants of the Kalapuya tribes and bands married extensively into other tribes throughout the northwest and within the reservation, and most now have multiple native ancestries. Most Kalapuya descendants are enrolled at The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. There are an estimated 4,000 Kalapuya descendants." Read more...
"Clothes washed for the first time in the full Moon will not last long."
"If you glimpse the new Moon over your right shoulder, you will have good luck."
"To have a project prosper, start it during the new Moon."
"Babies born a day after the full Moon enjoy success and endurance."
August's Blue Moon: Lunar Oddity of Night Sky Explained
by Joe Rao, Skywatching Columnist - Space.Com | August 16, 2013 01:25pm ET
When the moon rises Tuesday night (Aug. 20), it brings us the August full moon and in addition, it will also technically be a "Blue Moon."
"But wait a minute," you may ask. "Isn't a Blue Moon defined as the second full moon that occurs during a calendar month? Tuesday’s full moon will be the only full moon of August 2013. So how can we call it a 'Blue' moon?"
Yet it still is a Blue Moon, but only if we follow a now somewhat obscure rule of astronomy. In fact, the current "two full moon in one month" rule has superseded the rule that would allow us to call Tuesday’s full moon "blue." Read more...