If you are a Selenophile or a lover of the moon then it is time to point your eyes up to the sky again. The Sturgeon Moon which is the August full moon will grace the skies on the night of August 15. This full moon is called Sturgeon as it is named after North America's largest fish, the lake sturgeon. The full moon, however, may not be preferred by many astronomy lovers this time around, as it arrises close to the peak of the Perseid meteor showers. The Perseid meteor showers are one of the best meteor displays in the year, which will be accompanied by the fuller moon each night. The peak of these showers is from August 11 to August 13 and the Sturgeon moon will be seen on August 15.

Date and Time of Sturgeon Moon

The Sturgeon Moon will be seen on August 15, 2019, at 17:59pm IST or 12:29pm GMT.  "Just before midnight on the 15th August, we will see the moon positioned roughly south-south-east. It will visible before then, but will be low on the horizon, so spotting it might be a little tricky,"  Edward Bloomer an astronomy expert told the Country Living. People who are at an elevated platform will be able to see it much better.

Why Sturgeon Moon?

The names of the moon are decided according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The Native American tribes kept the names for the moon depending on the seasonal changes and something they could identify with. The full moon of August is named after the largest lake fish called Sturgeon. It was around this time of the year, that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught. Other names for August full moon are Grain Moon, Corn Moon, Fruit Moon. This full moon was a signal that the crop is ready for harvest.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 12, 2019 12:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).