The Sturgeon Moon & Lunar Eclipse of August 2026

It is traditionally known as the Sturgeon Moon, a name rooted in the seasonal landscapes of North America.

It will also pass deeply into Earth's shadow, creating a partial lunar eclipse visible across much of Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

And, because part of the Moon may take on darker copper or reddish tones, another name is likely to appear: Blood Moon.

They are three different ways of describing the same Moon.

One comes from seasonal observation.
One from astronomy.
And one from the way an eclipsed Moon can sometimes look from Earth.

The Sturgeon Moon

August's Full Moon is commonly known as the Sturgeon Moon.

The name is traditionally associated with the lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, where these large freshwater fish were an important seasonal food source for Indigenous peoples living in the region and were historically more abundant during late summer.

But Full Moon names are rarely as simple as one name belonging universally to one month.

The collection of names commonly used today draws from different Native American, Colonial American, and European traditions. Different communities observed different landscapes, foods, animals, and seasonal events, so August's Moon has carried other names as well.

That is part of what makes these names interesting.
They are not scientific labels for the Moon.
They are traces of place.

A name such as Sturgeon Moon tells us something about what people were noticing at that point in the year: what was plentiful, what was changing, and what mattered in the landscape around them.

The Sturgeon Moon reaches fullness on August 28, almost exactly as the eclipse reaches its deepest point. Depending on where you are in the world, however, the local date may still be August 27.

This year, it will look rather different from an ordinary August Full Moon.

A Full Moon in Earth's Shadow

A lunar eclipse happens when Earth passes between the Sun and the Full Moon, causing Earth's shadow to fall across the lunar surface.

Earth's shadow has two main parts.
The penumbra is the lighter outer shadow.
The umbra is the darker inner shadow.

During a total lunar eclipse, the entire Moon enters the umbra.

On August 28, that will not quite happen.

Instead, most of the Moon will move into Earth's dark central shadow while a small portion remains outside it. NASA gives the eclipse an umbral magnitude of about 0.93, making it a particularly deep partial lunar eclipse.

Worldwide, the penumbral eclipse begins at 01:23 UTC on August 28, followed by the partial phase at 02:33 UTC. The eclipse reaches its maximum at 04:12 UTC, before the partial phase ends at 05:51 UTC and the final penumbral shadow leaves the Moon at 07:01 UTC.

There is something satisfying about how simple the event is once we understand what we are seeing.

The Moon has not changed.
Earth has simply moved between it and the Sun.

And for a few hours, we can watch our own planet's shadow travel across another world.

Why Is It Called a Blood Moon?

The phrase Blood Moon is not a formal astronomical term.

It is a popular name most strongly associated with total lunar eclipses, when the entire Moon can appear dark red or copper-colored.

The color appears because some sunlight still reaches the Moon after passing through Earth's atmosphere. Much of the bluer light is scattered away, while more red and orange light continues through and reaches the lunar surface.

A partial eclipse can also produce reddish or copper tones in the portion of the Moon inside Earth's shadow.

But the August 2026 event is still a partial lunar eclipse, not a total one.

So although photographs and headlines may describe it as a Blood Moon, we wouldn't call it the August Blood Moon.

The simpler description is also the more accurate one:
The Sturgeon Moon during a deep partial lunar eclipse.

Watching the Eclipse

The August eclipse will be visible across much of the Americas, as well as parts of Europe and Africa, although exactly how much of it you can see will depend on where the Moon is above the horizon.

Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse can be watched safely with the naked eye. No eclipse glasses are needed.

For a few examples:

Lisbon — Partial eclipse begins at 3:33 a.m. WEST, maximum at 5:12 a.m.
New York — Partial eclipse begins at 10:33 p.m. EDT on August 27, maximum at 12:12 a.m.
Los Angeles — The Moon rises at 7:17 p.m. PDT; partial eclipse begins at 7:33 p.m., maximum at 9:12 p.m.

There is no particular moment you need to capture perfectly.
Part of the pleasure is watching the change happen slowly.

The first shadow appearing at the Moon's edge.
The darkened portion growing.
The contrast becoming stronger.

And then the process gradually reversing as the Moon leaves Earth's shadow.

It is one of those astronomical events that asks very little of us.
Only that we look up at the right time.

Why Do Full Moons Have Names?

The Sturgeon Moon is only one of the traditional names that have become associated with the Full Moons of the year.

There is the Wolf Moon in winter.
The Flower Moon in spring.
The Harvest Moon near the beginning of autumn.

And many others.

These names are not another system of Moon phases. Nor do they describe different kinds of Full Moon.

They are cultural names — ways people connected a recurring celestial cycle with what was happening on the ground beneath it.

That may be why they still appeal to us.
The Full Moon itself repeats.
The world beneath it changes.
And the names preserve fragments of those seasonal observations.

If you'd like to explore the wider tradition, you can continue with our article The 12 Full Moon Names Explained.

A Moon With More Than One Story

On August 28, the Moon will be full whether we call it the Sturgeon Moon or simply a Full Moon.

Earth's shadow will move across it whether anyone is watching or not.
But names and understanding change what we notice.

Sturgeon Moon connects the sky to a particular season and landscape.
Lunar eclipse helps us understand the shadow moving across its surface.
Blood Moon reminds us how quickly a striking appearance can acquire a name of its own.

None of these stories needs to replace the others.
They simply allow us to look at the same Moon from different directions.
And perhaps that is reason enough to wake a little earlier and look up.

✦ Explore the Full Moon Names

From the Wolf Moon of winter to August's Sturgeon Moon, the names given to the Full Moons carry traces of season, landscape, observation, and story.

The Soulseed Full Moon Names Guide explores all twelve traditional names, their origins, seasonal context, and the meanings that have gathered around them over time.

Explore the Full Moon Names Guide →

Grow slowly.

— Soulseed