MOON PHASES and SEASONS ~ Rosebud's Links ~ 2011 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004
Full Moon names date back to Native American Indians of the northern and eastern United States. Tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring Full Moon. Their names pertained to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the names, but generally the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed the custom and even created some of their own. A few names are duplicated in subsequent months because of different regional locations of the tribes. A lunar month averages about 29.5 days and the Full Moon dates change from year to year. Click on a month or name listed in the index below to see full names and descriptions.
The dates on this site are based on Central Standard Time.
(Due to different time zones, dates and times will vary.)
Reference - U.S. Naval Observatory
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Links
| JANUARY | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Wolf Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Old Moon |
| English / Medieval | Wolf Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Ice Moon |
| Celtic | Storm Moon |
| Other Names | Cold Moon |
Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. It was sometimes referred to as the Old Moon or the Moon after Yule. Also called the Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to the next Full Moon.
| FEBRUARY | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Snow Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Hunger Moon |
| English / Medieval | Storm Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Snow Moon |
| Celtic | Chaste Moon |
| Other Names | Bony Moon Opening Buds Moon |
The native tribes of the northern and eastern states most often called this full Moon the Snow Moon because the heaviest snows fall in this month. Also referred to as the Hunger Moon, among some tribes, due to harsh weather conditions that made hunting very difficult.
| MARCH | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Worm Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Chaste Moon Crust Moon |
| English / Medieval | Death Moon Sap Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Crow Moon |
| Celtic | Seed Moon |
| Other Names | Maple Sugar Moon Sugar Moon Windy Moon |
As the temperature becomes warmer and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts reappear along with the return of robins. The northern tribes called this the Crow Moon, with the cawing of crows signaling the end of winter. Also known as the Crust Moon because the snow becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Sap Moon marked the time of tapping maple trees. Settlers also knew this as the Lenten Moon. A biblical name referring to the last full Moon of winter.
| APRIL | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Pink Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Pink Moon Seed Moon |
| English / Medieval | Awakening Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Grass Moon |
| Celtic | Hare Moon |
| Other Names | Fish Moon Flower Moon Frog Moon Moon of the Red Grass Planter's Moon |
This name is from the pink grass/moss or wild ground phlox, one of the earliest widespread of flowers in spring. Other names include Sprouting Grass Moon and Egg Moon. The name Fish Moon came from the coastal tribes because the shad swam upstream to spawn. This is the first Full Moon of spring and it's also known as the Paschal Moon. The feast of Passover begins at sundown on this night and the first Sunday following the first Full Moon of spring is designated as Easter Sunday.
| MAY | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Flower Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Flower Moon |
| English / Medieval | Grass Moon Hare Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Planting Moon |
| Celtic | Dyad Moon |
| Other Names | Budding Moon Corn Planting Moon Milk Moon |
This months Full Moon is named after the abundant flowers in bloom during this time of year. Also known as the Corn Planting Moon or Milk Moon.
| JUNE | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Strawberry Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Dyad Moon Rose Moon |
| English / Medieval | Planting Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Strawberry Moon |
| Celtic | Mead Moon |
| Other Names | Green Corn Moon Honey Moon Hot Moon |
This name was widely known to the Algonquin tribe. Also named the Strawberry Moon because of the relatively short season for growing strawberries. In Europe it was called the Rose Moon.
| JULY click here | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Buck Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Buck Moon Mead Moon |
| English / Medieval | Rose Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Hay Moon |
| Celtic | Wyrt Moon |
| Other Names | Blood Moon Ripe Corn Moon Thunder Moon |
This month is usually when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads coated with velvety fur. Also known as the Thunder Moon because of thunderstorms being more prevalent at this time of year. Another name for this Full Moon was the Hay Moon.
| AUGUST | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Sturgeon Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Corn Moon Sturgeon Moon |
| English / Medieval | Lightening Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Grain Moon |
| Celtic | Barley Moon |
| Other Names | Dog Days Moon Fruit Moon Green Corn Moon Red Moon Wyrt Moon |
The fishing tribes of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water like Lake Champlain are responsible for naming this Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes, was plentiful during this month. A few tribes knew it as the Red Moon because of the sturgeons reddish appearance as it rose through a sultry haze. Also called the Corn Moon or Grain Moon.
| SEPTEMBER | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Harvest Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Harvest Moon |
| English / Medieval | Barley Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Harvest Moon |
| Celtic | Blood Moon |
| Other Names | Corn Moon Fruit Moon Nut Moon |
Traditionally, this name is for the Full Moon that occurs closest to the Autumn (Fall) Equinox. In two out of three years the Harvest Moon comes in September, but every third year it occurs in October. At the peak of the harvest, farmers can work into the night by the light of this Moon. A definite plus for the farmer. Fruit Moon or Barley Moon are names reserved for those years when the Harvest Moon appears very late in September or in early October.
| OCTOBER | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Hunter's Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Hunter's Moon |
| English / Medieval | Blood Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Blood Moon |
| Celtic | Snow Moon |
| Other Names | Dying Grass Moon Falling Leaves Moon Travel Moon |
With the leaves falling and the deer fattened, hunting season has arrived. The fields have been reaped and hunters can more easily see the game that have come out to glean.
| NOVEMBER | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Beaver Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Beaver Moon |
| English / Medieval | Snow Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Tree Moon |
| Celtic | Oak Moon |
| Other Names | Frost Moon Frosty Moon Trading Moon |
This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Also known as the Beaver Moon because beavers are now active in their preparation for winter. Sometimes this full Moon is referred to as the Frosty Moon.
| DECEMBER | |
|---|---|
| Old Farmer's Almanac | Cold Moon |
| Algonquin / Colonial | Cold Moon Oak Moon |
| English / Medieval | Long Night Moon |
| Neo-Pagan | Moon before Yule |
| Celtic | Wolf Moon |
Also known as the Long Nights Moon among some tribes. During this month the winter cold is gripping and nights are at their longest and darkest. It is sometimes called the Moon before Yule. (the full moon before Christmas) The name Long Night Moon is doubly appropriate because the midwinter nights are indeed long and the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter Full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it's directly opposite to the low Sun.
| Names Provided by Matthews | |
|---|---|
| Season | Name |
| 1st Full Moon of Winter | Moon after Yule |
| 2nd Full Moon of Winter | Wolf Moon |
| Last Full Moon of Winter | Lenten Moon |
| 1st Full Moon of Spring | Easter Moon Egg Moon Paschal Moon |
| 2nd Full Moon of Spring | Milk Moon |
| Last Full Moon of Spring | Flower Moon |
| 1st Full Moon of Summer | Hay Moon |
| 2nd Full Moon of Summer | Grain Moon |
| Last Full Moon of Summer | Fruit Moon |
| 1st Full Moon of Autumn | Harvest Moon |
| 2nd Full Moon of Autumn | Hunter's Moon |
| Last Full Moon of Autumn | Moon before Yule |
Insert a Blue Moon in any season as required,
after the 2nd moon and before the last.
A Black Moon is also known as a New Moon or a Dark Moon.
Being the opposite of a Blue Moon, a Black Moon is the
3rd New Moon in a season having 4 New Moons.
The next seasonal Black Moon occurs 5/20/2012 @ 6:47pm CDT.
Any month containing 2 New Moons, the 2nd is labeled a Calendar New Moon.
It is believed that the second New Moon has great spiritual powers.
The next calendar Black Moon occurs on 7/30/2011 @ 1:40pm CDT.
(Due to different time zones, dates and times will vary.)
Each season contains at least 3 Full Moons. These Moons are known as the 1st, 2nd and Last Full Moon and each bear a distinctive name. The Equinox and Solstice dates are used for dividing the seasons and some seasons will contain 4 Full Moons. This additional Moon is a true "Blue Moon" and it's the 3rd Full Moon of a season, between the 2nd and Last Moon. This is the older meaning of Blue Moon.
The next seasonal Blue Moon occurs 11/21/2010 @ 11:27am CST.
In recent times, the Blue Moon has been based on the Gregorian Calendar and has come to be known as a Calendar Blue Moon. Since a Lunar Month averages about 29.5 days, there will occasionally be seasons with 4 Full Moons, creating a calendar month with 2 Full Moons. The 2nd Moon in a month is called a Calendar Blue Moon. These Moons are not as frequent and on average occur every 2.72 years.
The next calendar Blue Moon occurs 8/31/2012 @ 7:58am CDT.
(Due to different time zones, dates and times will vary.)
[pic] For more information on Blue Moons Click Here or Click Here.
The Harvest Moon is always the Full Moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox. If the Harvest Moon occurs in October, the September Full Moon is usually called the Corn Moon. The names Barley Moon and Fruit Moon are reserved only for those years when the Harvest Moon appears very late in September or in early October. About every 4 years the Harvest Moon occurs in October, depending on the cycles of the moon. The Autumnal Equinox for 2009 is September 22nd.
The Harvest Moon for 2010 is September 23rd @ 3:17am CDT.
(the night of 9/22 thru the early morning of 9/23)
(Due to different time zones, dates and times will vary.)
A Wet Moon is when the horns of the Crescent Moon point up at an angle, away from
the horizon. It appears this way during the Summertime in the Northern Hemisphere.
A Dry Moon is when the horns of the Crescent Moon point to the side.
It appears this way during the Wintertime in the Northern Hemisphere.
Click Here to view an example.
Occasionally, the month of February will not have a New Moon . This is the only month effected
by this strange occurrence. When this happens, January and March will each have 2 New Moons.
The next February without a New Moon will be in 2014.
This same phenomenon happens with the Full Moon. When February does
not have a Full Moon, January and March will each have 2 Full Moons.
The next February without a Full Moon will be in 2018.
Some full Moons are genuinely larger than others. It's no illusion. The Moon's orbit is an ellipse with one side 50,000 km closer to Earth than the other. The Moon's orbit periodically grows rounder and then more oval; it is never a perfect circle. The two extremes are called "perigee" (nearby) and "apogee" (far away).
Perigee - The point at which the Moon is nearest Earth each month is called a "perigee" and it varies throughout the year. A perigee Moon brings with it higher tides called "perigean tides". In most places, lunar gravity at perigee pulls tide waters only a few centimeters higher than usual. This gravitational pull can also cause weather to become more unstable. It's moonlight shining through icy winter air can produce beautiful halos, coronas, moondogs and other atmospheric optics phenomena. The Full Moon closest to the earth in 2010 will take place on January 30th 3:04am CST.
Apogee - The point at which the Moon is farthest from Earth each month is called an "apogee". This also varies throughout the year. At apogee, the lunar gravity pulls tide waters fewer centimeters lower than usual. The gravitational pull on the earth is the opposite of Perigee. The Full Moon farthest from the earth in 2010 will be on August 24th 11:52pm CDT.
Perigee and Apogee Moon pics: [pic1] [pic2] / Ellipse pic: [pic]
Parigee Calculator - Perigee and Apogee Dates
March 20, 2010 @ 12:32pm CDT
Most of us recognize this date as the beginning of Spring. As well as signifying changing seasons, March 20 (March 21 in some years), the Sun crosses directly over the Earth's equator, from south to north. This moment is known as the Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. People south of the Equator get ready for the cooler temperatures of Autumnal Equinox. The Vernal Equinox has been recognized for thousands of years. Along with the coming of Spring, the date is also significant in Christianity. Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs after the Vernal Equinox.
(Due to different time zones, dates and times will vary.)
June 21, 2010 @ 6:28am CDT
This is when we experience the longest day of the year. People in the Northern or Southern Hemispheres experience the same phenomenon. For several days before and after each solstice, the sun appears to stand still in the sky. More specifically the noontime elevation does not seem to change. Solstice comes from the Latin meaning sun stands still. It signifies the beginning of Summer north of the Equator. Those south of the Equator will begin their Winter season. The Sun's position reaches its greatest distance above the equator, about 23 1/2° of arc. During the Summer Solstice, the sun is directly overhead at noon and over the Tropic of Cancer.
(Due to different time zones, dates and times will vary.)
September 22, 2010 @ 10:09pm CDT
A second equinox occurs each year on September 22 or 23 as the Sun crosses directly over the Earth's equator, from north to south. It marks the beginning of Fall. It's known as the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. At the same moment the Southern Hemisphere is entering into Spring, or the Vernal Equinox.
(Due to different time zones, dates and times will vary.)
December 21, 2010 @ 5:38pm CST
A second Solstice occurs each year at noon on December 21 or 22. The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The the sun is directly overhead at noon and shines over the Tropic of Capricorn, below the Equator. This Solstice marks the beginning of Winter in the Northern Hemisphere and Summer in the Southern Hemisphere. For several days before and after each solstice, the sun appears to stand still in the sky in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. More specifically the noontime elevation does not seem to change. The Sun's position reaches its greatest distance below the equator, about 23 1/2° of arc. Solstice comes from the Latin meaning sun stands still.
(Due to different time zones, dates and times will vary.)
The word Equinox means "Equal Night". Because the sun is positioned above the Equator, day and night are about equal in length all over the world during both Equinoxes. These brief but monumental moments are due to the 23.4 degree tilt of the Earth's axis. We receive the Sun's rays more directly in the summer because of the tilt. In the winter, we are tilted away from the Sun causing lower temperatures. Without the tilt of the Earth's axis, there would be no variation in the length of day and night. The temperatures would remain the same throughout the year and we would not have seasons.
In the Northern Hemisphere the longest day and shortest night of the year occur, marking the beginning of Summer. It's the reverse for the Southern Hemisphere. In March, the the Sun shines over the Tropic of Cancer at noon, above the Equator. In December, the the Sun shines over the Tropic of Capricorn at noon, below the Equator. During the two Solstices, the Sun is at its greatest distance from the Equator. For several days before and after each solstice, the sun appears to stand still in the sky. More specifically the noontime elevation does not seem to change. The Sun's position has reached its greatest distance above the equator, about 23 1/2° of arc.
Click Here
 | New Moon: The lighted side of the Moon faces away from the Earth. This means that the Sun, Earth, and Moon are almost in a straight line, with the Moon in between the Sun and the Earth. The Moon is not visible or looks very dark (except during a solar eclipse). |
 | Waxing Crescent Moon: This Moon can be seen after the New Moon, but before the First Quarter Moon. This crescent will grow larger and larger every day, until the Moon becomes a First Quarter Moon. |
 | First Quarter Moon: The right half of the Moon appears lighted and the left side of the Moon appears dark. During the time between the New Moon and the First Quarter Moon, the part of the Moon that appears lighted gets larger and larger every day, and will continue to grow into a Full Moon. |
 | Waxing Gibbous Moon: This Moon can be seen after the First Quarter Moon, but before the Full Moon. The amount of the Moon that we can see will grow larger and larger every day. Waxing means increasing, or growing larger. |
 | Full Moon: The lighted side of the Moon faces the Earth. This means that the Earth, Sun, and Moon are nearly in a straight line, with the Earth in the middle. The Moon that we see is very bright from the sunlight reflecting off it. |
 | Waning Gibbous Moon: This Moon can be seen after the Full Moon, but before the Last Quarter Moon. The amount of the Moon that we can see will grow smaller and smaller every day. Waning means decreasing, or growing smaller. |
 | Last Quarter Moon: Sometimes called Third Quarter. The left half of the Moon appears lighted, and the right side of the Moon appears dark. During the time between the Full Moon and the Last Quarter Moon, the part of the Moon that appears lighted gets smaller and smaller every day. It will continue to shrink into a New Moon, then the cycle starts all over again. |
 | Waning Crescent Moon: This Moon can be seen after the Last Quarter Moon and before the New Moon. This crescent will grow smaller and smaller every day, until the Moon becomes a New Moon. |
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More on the Moon | |
Phases of the Moon ~ The revolution of the Moon around the Earth makes the Moon appear as if it's changing shape in the sky. This is caused by the different angles from which we see the bright part of the Moon's surface. The Moon passes through eight distinct, recognized stages during a cycle that repeats itself every 29.5 days (a lunar month). Four of those stages are considered major shapes. These are called "Phases" of the Moon.
  
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CURRENT MOON |
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