OTHER FULL
MOON NAMES
Harvest Moon: The Harvest Moon is an
astronomical name and refers to the full Moon
that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox.
It can occur in either September or October.
Near the autumnal equinox, the Moon rises
only about 30 minutes later each night, instead
of about 50 minutes, providing a few evenings
of extra light after sunset for farmers to
continue harvesting. At this time of year, crops
such as corn, pumpkins, squash, and wild rice
are ready for gathering.
Blue Moon: Occasionally, two full Moons
occur within the same calendar month. The first
full Moon goes by the name normally assigned
to that month's full Moon, but the second full
Moon is commonly called a Blue Moon. Blue
Moons occur about every 2½ years.
Black Moon: In contrast to the Blue Moon,
Black Moon has been used to refer to a month
in which there is no full Moon; this can only
occur in February, because the calendar month
has fewer days (28 or 29 days) than the lunar
month (about 29.5 days). The term may also
refer to a second new Moon occurring within
a calendar month; by this definition, a Black
Moon can never occur in February.
Supermoon: A full Moon is said to be a
"Supermoon" when it is at the point in its orbit
closest to the Earth. In astronomy, the terms
"perigee syzygy" or "perigee full Moon" are
typically used instead of "Supermoon."
Each Full Moon
has its own name
and meaning...
Strawberry Moon
June
In the Colonial era,
this was time to gather
ripening strawberries. It
has also been call the Rose
Moon and the Hot Moon.
Off icialKidsMag.com • JULY 2019 • 43
