Today’s Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy<doc-sep>The full moon will face serious competition on August 26. Known as the Sturgeon Moon, the lunar spectacle will also be sharing the sky with Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter at varying points in the early morning and night, giving us plenty of reasons to keep looking up. The Sturgeon Moon, which gets its name from the freshwater fish that was once found in abundance in the Great Lakes, will reach fullness on August 26 at 7:56 a.m. Eastern. The full moon arrives at a time when Mercury is nearing its greatest western elongation, or angular distance, from the sun. With Mercury at its farthest from the central star — exactly 18.3 degrees from the sun along the line of the ecliptic — it’s a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of the innermost planet on the Eastern horizon. Mercury will rise at 4:46 a.m Eastern on the morning of August 26 and can be seen close to the horizon for those living on the East coast. Those that aren’t morning people can still catch a lunar viewing when the moon rises at 8:01 p.m. Eastern that same night. While the moon will no longer be at its fullest, it won’t look visibly smaller. The Sturgeon Moon will also be accompanied by a lineup of planets that will be visible throughout the evening. Mars will rise at 6:20 p.m Eastern on Sunday night and offer vibrant views until 3:05 a.m. the next morning. The red planet will appear the brightest of the planetary appearances, offering “perfect visibility” to those on the east coast of the US. Stargazers who start early on Sunday evening will also catch Venus before it sets at 9:10 p.m. Eastern, as well as Jupiter, which will be on display until 10:38 p.m. Eastern. In areas where this is less light pollution, Saturn will also be visible for most of the night before setting at 1:27 a.m. Eastern on August 27. Weather permitting, this celestial parade will be visible without a telescope in areas with less light pollution. While a full moon can often drown out the appearance of planets in a bright sky, the apparent magnitudes of Venus, Mars, and Saturn mean that the Sturgeon Moon will still have to share the spotlight. Story continues Photos via wikimedia More From Inverse<doc-sep>On Sunday, August 26th, the Full Sturgeon Moon will arrive and bring with it the power to help us tap into our psychic energy. It’s during a full moon that we should physically, emotionally, and spiritually restore ourselves. During this month’s Full Sturgeon Moon, practice one or all of the below rituals to fully reap the lunar rewards. The Full Sturgeon Moon got its name from the Native American tribes located around the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain; tribespeople in this part of the country would fish for sturgeon at this time of year. August’s full moon is also known as the Corn Moon, Blueberry Moon, and Wheat Cut Moon. Come Sunday, take time to heal and renew yourself. If you’ve been feeling like you’re running out of steam, if your mind has been foggy, or if you feel as though you haven’t had room in your busy schedule to even breathe, cancel your Sunday plans and spend the day taking care of you. Whether you consider yourself spiritual or not, you’ll absolutely feel the benefits of celebrating the full moon with some personal pampering. Check out these calming rituals that will bring you back from the dead and get you ready for the moon cycle ahead. Soak in an herbal bath. Ease mental tension and relax your sore muscles by soaking in a hot herbal bath. Ann Moura, author of Green Witchcraft, writes that an herbal bath is “a magical experience affecting body, mind, heart, and spirit.” Moura recommends using chamomile, lavender, rose, and peppermint in your bath if peace and comfort are needed in your life. Add in some heather, jasmine, or lemon balm for an extra dose of relaxation. Bath time is you time. Light candles, pour yourself some wine, and put on your favorite chill tunes. Let your mind go blank and rest up for the tasks ahead. Participate in the Feast of New Bread ritual. According to D.J. Conway, author of Moon Magick, the Feast for New Bread was celebrated by ancient peoples after the harvesting of grains. It was a Thanksgiving of sorts—a celebration that there would be food during the winter. Story continues If you’re the type of person who uses crafts, cooking, or baking to get your mind off things and tune out, put your energy into baking a loaf of bread like the ancestors did. By doing so, you’re taking yourself back to simpler times, when modern day stressors didn’t exist. You’re creating something you can feel proud of, and that delicious loaf of bread can give you a little extra confidence boost. Set up an altar and visualize your goals. An altar space is necessary for anyone who believes putting energy out into the world will bring you what you want in life. The full moon is a time of empowerment and feeling as though you can and will achieve your dreams. Designate a small table, a shelf on your bookcase, or even a windowsill to be your altar—a source of inspiration for the month ahead. Put together a dream board or pin postcards of places you want to travel to on your altar. Or if you have no set goal in mind, simply litter your altar with positive quotes and images to inject some happiness and inspiration into your life. There’s truly no wrong way to celebrate the Full Sturgeon Moon. As long as you remember that you are powerful and worthy of self-love, you’re ready to absorb everything the full moon has to give you.<doc-sep>Blood Moon: Time-lapse shows progression of eclipse FREE for the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up forfor the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The so-called Sturgeon Moon is the ninth Full Moon phase of this year’s lunar cycle and the final one to grace the night skies before Autumn. If you look up at the sky tonight you will see 100 percent of the lunar orb’s face lit up by the Sun. This happens because for one moment this month the Moon will sit directly opposite the Sun at 180 degrees. Throughout the rest of the month the Moon will sit anywhere between 180 and zero degrees in relation to the Sun. But the Moon will deceptively reach this phase in the daytime over the UK, reaching Full Moon around 12.56am (11.56am BST). On the US East Coast, the Full Moon will appear at 7.58am ET and over on the West Coast, the Full Moon peaks around 4.58am PT. This means, weather permitting, you might be able to spot the Moon during the daytime. If it is bright enough outside, the Moon should be able to breakthrough the blue sky. Full Moon: The August Full Moon peaks tonight on Sunday, August 26 The August Full Moon is sometimes known as the Sturgeon Full Moon thanks to the traditions and customs of Native American tribes in the Eastern US. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, a guide to nature, weather and astronomy, native tribes kept track of the changing seasons and seasonal variance in the landscape and nature by keeping an eye on the different phases of the Moon. Amy Nieskens, of the Old Farmer’s Almanac, explained: “August’s Full Moon is known as the Full Sturgeon Moon because Native American tribes knew that the sturgeon in the Great Lakes and in Lake Champlain were most readily caught during the Full Moon. “And now a question for the Old Farmer: Why can you sometimes see the Moon during the day, especially in the summertime? “Whenever we see the Moon what we are actually seeing is sunlight that is illuminating its surface. August’s Full Moon is known as the Full Sturgeon Moon Amy Nieskens, Old Farmer's Almanac “In the Summer, better weather conditions and more outdoor activity increase the probability of seeing the Moon in daytime. “It looks more dim and faint because your eye’s comparing it with direct sunlight, not a nighttime sky.” If the skies are clear tonight, you should be able to spot the planet Mars as well. If you are watching from London tonight, you should see the Red Planet pop up at night just after sunset around 7.17pm BST. August Full Moon: Astronaut Alexander Gerst shared this photo of the Moon and the planet Mars August Full Moon: The Full Moon tonight is the last Full Moon of the sumer<doc-sep>
Although August's full moon is typically the eighth full moon of the year, it's actually the ninth of 2018, so it occurs late in the month. Known as the Sturgeon Moon, our satellite will reach its full phase on Sunday, Aug. 26, and while the moon technically will reach its peak fullness during the day, North Americans can see it 99 percent illuminated either before dawn or after sunset. Why is August's full moon called the Sturgeon Moon? The sturgeon fish, North America's largest, are usually caught at this time of year in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. However, there are plenty of other names for August's full moon, such as the Full Green Corn Moon, Full Barley Moon, Wheat Cut Moon, Blueberry Moon, and Blackberry Moon, because it coincides with harvest times for those crops. Related: When to See the Next Great Supermoon When does the Sturgeon Moon occur? The exact moment of fullness of August's moon is at 7:56 a.m. EST on Aug. 26, 2018. That's a couple hours or so after sunrise and moonset, so moon-gazers will have to either get up in the early hours, or wait for the evening to glimpse the Sturgeon Moon near its peak. Related: 10 Incredible Nighttime Adventures That Take Stargazing to New Heights Why does the Sturgeon Moon occur in the daytime? The full moon occurs when it's 100 percent illuminated by the sun, and has no relation to Earth's rotation. The moon orbits Earth once every 27 days, but doesn't appear to be rotating because it shows the same face to us all the time. That's called synchronous rotation because the Moon rotates once during its orbit. However, since Earth is rotating much faster, there's every chance that its four specific phases (new moon, first quarter, full moon, and third quarter) can occur during the day as seen from any particular location on the planet. Only those on the nightside of Earth will see an exactly full moon that's 100 percent illuminated by the sun, and in August that doesn't include North America. That's why the U.S. missed out on July's Blood Moon. However, it doesn't make much difference since the moon will look full whether viewed just before or just after its brightest phase. Story continues How can I see the full moon in August before dawn? If you can easily access an observing position that looks west, look for the Sturgeon Moon during the early hours of Aug. 26. In New York, the moon will set in the west 99 percent illuminated at 6:12 a.m EST, which is five minutes before sunrise. Its phase at that point is called a waxing gibbous moon. How can I see the full moon in August just after sunset? However, if you want to observe from a location that looks to the east, get in position for 8:01 p.m. EST. on Aug. 26 to watch the moon, now slightly past its full phase, appear on the horizon a beautiful pale orange. Its phase here is called a waning gibbous moon, but it will be 99 percent illuminated. The sun will have set at 7:37 p.m. EST, so there's a good chance the moon will rise in an pink eastern sky, something called the Belt of Venus, which always happens just after sunset. When is the next full moon? The Harvest Moon, also known as the Full Corn Moon, will occur at 10:53 p.m. EST on Sept. 24, 2018, so will be observable to all of North America as it’s exactly 100 percent illuminated by the sun.