Wolf Moon, Pink Moon, Ice Moon: Why there are so many names for a full moon
Every 29.5 days, the people of Earth get to experience a dazzling full moon. Many of us are accustomed to the common names of the moon and its cycles, but there are also a multitude of colloquial names.
Aside from some of the basic full moon names — Supermoon, Blue Moon and the like — there are multiple names each is known by, according to Celestron, a company that sells telescopes and other skywatching equipment.
There are extensive records of North American Native American tribes using the moon to detect changes in seasons and naming each change accordingly.
“The moon goes beyond science — it’s culture,” said Kevin Schindler, historian and public information officer at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. “Cultures have come up with different nicknames for the moon throughout history, and I think it makes it more approachable for people, that the moon is not just the science of astronomy, but an object any of us can go out and look at. It’s a part of a cultural connection.”
Among the names you might see attached to full moons:
January: Wolf Moon, Moon After Yule, Old Moon, Ice Moon, Snow Moon
February: Snow Moon, Hunger Moon, Storm Moon, Chaste Moon
March: Worm Moon, Crow Moon, Sap Moon, Lenten Moon
April: Pink Moon, Seed Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon
May: Flower Moon, Milk Moon, Corn Planting Moon
June: Strawberry Moon, Mead Moon, Rose Moon, Honey Moon
July: Buck Moon, Hay Moon, Thunder Moon
August: Sturgeon Moon, Corn Moon, Red Moon, Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon
September: Harvest Moon, Full Corn Moon
October: Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon, Sanguine Moon
November: Beaver Moon, Frosty Moon
December: Cold Moon, Oak Moon, Long Nights Moon
February’s Snow Moon was aptly named by Indigenous tribes. The time of year marked snow-covered ground for much of the country, meaning little food and growth, hence the often-used other name of Hunger Moon. April’s Pink Moon was named for the same reason: It depicted the experiences of Native Americans during the month. Flowers begin to bloom, butterflies start to fly and hope and rebirth soar along with them.
January, among some Native American tribes, is known for its long, dark nights and freezing, windy temperatures. If clouds do not obscure the night sky, you can experience the Wolf Moon on Jan. 25.
What else can we see in the winter night sky?
If the weather cooperates, Jupiter will be the brightest object in the sky, and high among the stars in the early evening, all month. Venus is also very bright, though it sits low in the east, dropping ever closer to the horizon as the weeks pass. Saturn will glow with a tinge of yellow in the western skies.
“The winter night sky is what some people consider the most dramatic time of the year,” Schindler said, “because there are some really bright and familiar stars and constellations, like Orion and Sirius.”
On Thursday, the moon, halfway between new and full, will shine near Jupiter.
If you have a telescope, now is the time to set it up. The entire sky will be lit up with not only these planets and the moon, but also the Pleiades, Aldebaran and the Hyades star clusters, along with the Orion Nebula. In fact, everything will be so easy to see, binoculars could even do the trick.
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However you choose to stargaze, the objects in the night sky have long brought people together.
“It’s kind of a cultural part of having close celestial neighbors, and it inspires us in our everyday life,” Schindler said. “We can all look up into the sky and connect with not only what is out there, but also with those down here, looking up.”
Caralin Nunes writes about weather and related topics for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Email her with story tips at caralin.nunes@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Full moon names and all Arizona's winter night sky has to offer
