The Moon is a natural satellite of Earth and orbits around it at a distance of 248,308 miles/ 399,614 kilometers from Earth. It takes 27 days to orbit around Earth.
The Moon has been highly regarded in mythology and symbolism that are deeply rooted in many spiritual beliefs around the world. Its reverence comes from its ability to influence life on Earth depending on how its cycle affects us. Its sacredness is understood to be connected to life itself, with many cultures ascribing it as a deity or personification. It is a reminder of how intertwined we are with the natural forces at play in our universe.
Full Moon Names
Traditional names for each full moon in a year often come from various sources, including Native American, Colonial American, and other North American folklore. These names were used to track the seasons and often reflect the nature or activities common during that time in the Northern Hemisphere.
Here’s a guide to the names of the full moons for the year, along with their origins:
January
Wolf Moon
The January full Moon is called the Wolf Moon because wolves seemed to howl more during this time for reasons such as communicating across distances to connect with their pack or from hunger.
February
Snow Moon
The February full Moon is called the Snow Moon because this name is attributed to the typically heavy snowfall that occurs in February in many northern regions.
March
Worm Moon
The March full Moon is called the Worm Moon because the thawing of the ground around this time brings the reappearance of earthworms, which in turn attract birds – a sign of spring.
april
Pink Moon
The April full Moon is called the Pink Moon. This moon is named for the pink flowers – phlox – and other flowers that bloom in the early spring. It’s a symbol of the new blooms and growth of this time.
may
Flower Moon
The May full Moon is called the Flower Moon due to the abundance of flowers that typically bloom in this month.
june
Strawberry Moon
The June full Moon is called the Strawberry Moon. This moon gets its name from the short season for harvesting strawberries in northeastern North America.
july
Buck Moon
The July full Moon is called the Buck Moon because it is around the time when new antlers of buck deer begin to grow with coatings of velvety fur.
august
Sturgeon Moon
The August full Moon is called the Sturgeo Moon because Tribes by the Great Lakes and other bodies of water named this moon for the large number of fish, particularly sturgeon, caught during this month.
september
Harvest Moon
The September full Moon is called the Harvest Moon. This moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox, representative of the time of year when many crops are harvested.
october
Hunters Moon
The October full Moon is called the Hunters Moon. Following the harvest, animals are fattened, and this moon marks the time to hunt in preparation for winter.
november
Beaver Moon
The November full Moon is called the Beaver Moon because this was around the time of year to set beaver traps before the swamps freeze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs.
december
Cold Moon
The December full Moon is called the Cold Moon because of the cold temperatures and long, dark days.
What are the Moon Phases?
The changing phases of the Moon are caused by the way it is illuminated by the Sun.
First Quarter: Right half of the Moon is illuminated.
Full: The Sun and the Moon are in opposition; the entire disk of the Moon is illuminated.
Last Quarter: Left half of the Moon is illuminated.
New Moon: The Moon is not illuminated
The Moon’s path across the sky also changes with the season’s impacting the time of the moonrise and moonset. Full moons are high in the sky around midnight during the months of November and February. Between May and July, the full Moon is very low in the sky around midnight.
What is a Full Moon?
During a full Moon, the Sun, Moon, and Earth are aligned. This is when the Sun and Moon’s gravity pulls on the Earth simultaneously, causing extra high and low tides.
As the Moon’s gravity tugs at Earth, it shifts Earth’s mass, distorting its shape ever so slightly into that of a football ― elongated at the equator and shortened at the poles. This effect on the solid Earth can be seen with the changes in tides.
✨Use a set of binoculars to get a closer look to see illuminated features like craters.
What is a Micromoon?
January 2023’s full Moon is a Micromoon and will be at its farthest point away from Earth at about 252,088mi / 405,696km.
The Dark Side of the Moon
The same side of the Moon always faces Earth because it rotates and revolves at the same rate. The other side is often known as the dark side of the moon.
The only known time humans have seen the other side of the Moon was in 1959 when a Soviet spacecraft flew past the dark side of the Moon.
View the Naturalist’s Guide Celestial Calendar for iCal for lunar dates, moon names, meteor showers, comets, and more celestial events here✨
Sources
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, January 19). moon worship. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/moon-worship
NASA. (n.d.). Earth’s Moon. NASA Solar System Exploration. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/earths-moon/overview/
