August 2025 Full Sturgeon Moon

On August 9, 2025, we will be treated to the full Sturgeon Moon.  If you are up early you can see this Moon at its fullest and brightest at the exact moment it’s full at 3:55A.M. EDT – the exact moment the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth.  The Moon will set at 6:34A.M.  If you’re not a morning person, the Moon will still look full and round when it rises Saturday night at 9:01PM.  Native American names for full Moons are rooted in their knowledge of the natural world and their observed changes to this world from month to month.  August’s Moon gets its name from the giant lake sturgeon, the largest freshwater fish in North America.  In late summer, and particularly in August, these fish were easy to catch and were an important food source for many Native American tribes who lived in what are now the St. Lawrence, Hudson Bay, Great Lakes, Mississippi River and Coosa River watersheds.  The importance of this fish made it the perfect inspiration for the name of the August Moon.

Although Sturgeon Moon is the most common name for August’s full Moon there are so many others.  There are names associated with plants and harvesting such as the Lakota name Moon of the Ripening. The southern plains Ponca tribe call this the Corn is in the Silk Moon and the Assiniboine people call it the Black Cherries Moon.  There are August Moon names associated with animals.  For instance, the Arapaho call this Geese Shedding Their Feathers Moon and the Cree call it the Young Ducks Begin to Fly Moon.  Summer heat and drought conditions have given rise to names such as the Catawba name Dry Moon and the Shoshone name Hot Moon.  The Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest call it the Mountain Shadows Moon.

If you have the opportunity, take time to enjoy the full Sturgeon Moon.