By The Human Origin Project
The full moon appears once a month on different days. The full moon cycle tells us what day the full moon will appear.
The full moon cycle is a measure of the moon phases. It?s counted from when the new moon appears, grows to the full moon returns to the new moon again. The Lunar Calendar tracks the process from its beginning, starting with the new moon. You can also measure it from full moon to full moon.
We observe the moon phases from the earth due to sunlight hitting the moon surface. The relation between the earth moon and sun, create the lunar cycle.
At the same time, the moon revolves around the earth. Each body has a position relative to each other. When the earth faces the sun, it?s day time. Similarly, when we look at the moon, we see the sun?s light on the moon surface.
The full moon cycle completes when the side of the moon we see is entirely lit by sunlight.
For quick reference, here?s a list of names and dates of Full Moons in 2019.
NASA 2019 Full Moon Cycle
DateNameU.S. EastUTCJan. 21Wolf Moon12:16 a.m.04:16Feb. 19Snow Moon10:53 a.m.15:53Mar. 20Worm Moon9:43 p.m.01:43Apr. 19Pink Moon7:12 a.m.11:12May 18Flower Moon5:11 p.m.21:11Jun. 17Strawberry Moon4:31 a.m.08:31Jul. 16Buck Moon5:38 p.m.21:38Aug. 15Sturgeon Moon8:29 a.m.12:29Sep. 14Harvest Moon12:33 a.m.04:33Oct. 13Hunter?s Moon5:08 p.m.21:08Nov. 12Beaver Moon8:34 a.m.13:34Dec. 12Cold Moon12:12 a.m.05:12
How often does a full moon happen?
The full moon happens roughly every 29.53 days.
The full moon cycle as it moves from full, to crescent, gibbous, and to new moon.
Is there a full moon at the end of every month?
Our calendar doesn?t necessarily have a full moon at the end. It falls in varying periods between months.
According to NASA, in 2019, every month has a full moon. However, not all years are like this.
The full moon is when the moon sits on the exact other side of the earth and sun. That means the earth is in between the moon and sun.
How the full moon cycle fits into the months of the Gregorian calendar.
The moon revolves around the earth roughly every 29.53 days. That means once a month, there should be a full moon. As the Gregorian Calendar is a solar calendar, it doesn?t record the moon cycles. That means our months can misalign with the full moon cycle.
It separates months into 30, 31, (and 28 for February) days. These don?t line up to the period of the full moon cycle.
In 2018, full moons were later in the months. In 2019, the full moons will cycle earlier in the months. At the end of the year the full moon happens on the 12th of December 2019.
Sometimes a month will have no full moons, and others will have two.
What is a month without a full moon called?
Rarely a month falls without a full moon. On the Gregorian Calendar, it can occur only in February. It happens about every 19 years.
A month without a full moon is called a black moon.
How often is there a full moon twice in one month?
When February is without a full moon, the preceding January or December and the following March or April have two full moons.
A month with two moons is called a blue moon.
The blue moon occurs every 2.5 years according to NASA.
What are the names of the full moons?
In Western Culture we have attached specific names to full moons.
Black moon is a month with no moon. Blue moon is a month with two.
However, the Lunar Calendar used in many ancient societies. Many cultures have distinct names to each full moon cycle. The names were applied to the entire month in which the full moon falls.
The Farmer?s Almanac lists several names that are commonly used in the United States.
Here is a list of full moons names used across certain ancient cultures.
Colonial American January: Winter MoonJuly: Summer Moon February: Trapper?s Moon August: Dog Day?s Moon March: Fish Moon September: Harvest Moon April: Planter?s Moon October: Hunter?s Moon May: Milk Moon November: Beaver Moon June: Rose Moon December: Christmas Moon
Chinese January: Holiday Moon July: Hungry Ghost Moon February: Budding Moon August: Harvest Moon March: Sleepy Moon September: Chrysanthemum Moon April: Peony Moon October: Kindly Moon May: Dragon Moon November: White Moon June: Lotus Moon December: Bitter Moon
American Indian (Cherokee) January: Cold Moon July: Ripe Corn Moon February: Bony Moon August: Fruit Moon March: Windy Moon September: Nut Moon April: Flower Moon October: Harvest Moon May: Planting Moon November: Trading Moon June: Green Corn Moon December: Snow Moon
American Indian (Choctaw) January: Cooking Moon July: Crane Moon February: Little Famine Moon August: Women?s Moon March: Big Famine Moon September: Mulberry Moon April: Wildcat Moon October: Blackberry Moon May: Panther Moon November: Sassafras Moon June: Windy Moon December: Peach Moon
American Indian (Dakotah Sioux)January: Moon of the Terrible February: Moon of the Raccoon, Moon When Trees PopMarch:Moon When Eyes Are Sore from Bright SnowApril:Moon When Geese Return in Scattered Formation May: Moon When Leaves Are Green, Moon To Plant June: Moon When June Berries Are Ripe July: Moon of the Middle Summer August: Moon When All Things Ripen September: Moon When The Calves Grow Hair October: Moon When Quilling and Beading is Done November: Moon When Horns Are Broken Off December: Twelfth Moon
Celtic Quite Moon July: Moon of Claiming Moon of Ice August: Dispute Moon Moon of Winds September: Singing Moon Growing Moon October: Harvest Moon Bright Moon November: Dark Moon Moon of Horses December: Cold Moon
English Medieval January: Wolf Moon July: Mead Moon February: Storm Moon August: Corn Moon March: Chaste Moon September: Barley Moon April: Seed Moon October: Blood Moon May: Hare Moon November: Snow Moon June: Dyan Moon December: Oak Moon
Neo-Pagan January: Ice Moon July: Rose Moon February: Snow Moon August: Lightening Moon March: Death Moon September: Harvest Moon April: Awakening Moon October: Blood Moon May: Grass Moon November: Tree Moon June: Planting Moon December: Long Night Moon
New Guinea Name: Rainbow Fish Moon Name: Black Trevally Moon Name: Parrotfish Moon Name: Open Sea Moon Name: Palolo Worm Moon Name: Tiger Shark Moon Name: Flying Fish Moon Name: Rain & Wind Moon
Conclusion
The Lunar Calendar has been measured for many years by our ancestors. Today you can follow it by knowing the full moon cycle.
You need to remember that our Gregorian Calendar does not line up with lunar phases.
To get a full understanding read more here.
How do you use the full moon in your every-day life?
