We will see our first supermoon of the year this month.

What is a Supermoon?

According to the Natural History Museum, a supermoon is a full moon that appears bigger and brighter than normal full moons.  It's because a supermoon happens when the moon is at the closest point to Earth during its orbit.

supermoons aren't uncommon, and we typically see 3-4 a year, but that doesn't mean they still aren't really neat to look up for!

A full Moon occurs once in each lunar cycle, which lasts 29.5 days. But not every full Moon is a supermoon - there are only usually three or four supermoons in a year. Between 2020 and 2025, there will be four each year.

During a supermoon, the Moon is at a stage where it is closest to Earth. (National History Museum)

In 2024 there will be four supermoons, and the first of those four is the August Sturgeon supermoon.

The Full Sturgeon Supermoon

The full moon that falls during August is called the Sturgeon Moon.  According to Almanac, this moon gets its name after the fish, as this is the time of year sturgeon are more frequently caught.

The name Sturgeon Moon comes from the giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain; this native freshwater fish was readily caught during this part of summer and an important food staple for Native Americans who lived in the region. At one time the lake sturgeon was quite abundant in late summer, though they are rarer today.

This year's Sturgeon Moon will also be the first supermoon of 2024.  You can catch the Sturgeon Moon on Monday, August 19th, and Almanac recommends looking southeast after sunset to catch it when it rises.

The Four Supermoons of 2024

This year we will see four supermoons, the first of them is the Full Sturgeon moon on August 19th.  According to Sky at Night Magazine, the following dates are also supermoons:

• September 18th
• October 17th
• November 15th