The Sturgeon Moon is the last supermoon before fall and coincides with the Perseid meteor shower.
When you look up at the night sky Thursday, don’t be surprised by the size of the moon.
It’s the last supermoon before fall, and this one has a name, too: the sturgeon moon, named after the largest fish in North America that’s been around for millions of years.
“The moon’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle, it’s more of an ellipse. So that means that sometimes the moon is a little closer to the Earth than other times,” said Orbax Thomas, a professor in the University of Guelph’s physics department in the faculty of engineering and physical sciences.
He said this means you’ll see a lot more light from supermoons as a result, and the moon will appear 40% bigger than normal.
It will reach maximum illumination around 21:36, according to the Ancient Almanac del Pagès.
The sturgeon moon is also called the green corn moon, grain moon, and barley moon, with the full moon in August usually coinciding with certain harvests.
This is the third month in a row that a supermoon has appeared in the sky, and it comes after May’s Bloodflower Lunar Eclipse.
“Every year, we have supermoons. It’s kind of unique that we’re seeing three in a row,” Orbax said.
“If you do any astrophotography, or even if you don’t have a telescope but you do have binoculars, it’s a perfect opportunity to really try to check things out and see the face of the moon. See if you can see things like the Sea of Tranquility and all the different characteristics that exist on the Moon.
“It’s going to be so bright. You’re going to get a very clear picture of it.”
And if you’re gazing and catch what appears to be a shooting star out of the corner of your eye, that’s the Perseid meteor shower happening Thursday through Saturday.
It’s one of the busiest meteor showers, with “up to 60 meteors per hour visible in the night sky.”
But you will have to look carefully. Orbax said the supermoon will be so big and bright, “it will probably obscure most of these meteors or shooting stars from what you would normally see.”
He said it will be difficult, especially when any light pollution is added. But the task is not impossible.
“It’s a numbers game,” Orbax said. “If you’re up past midnight and they’re predicting up to 60 meteors an hour or more, they’re there, so you might get a chance to see it if you’re lucky.”
Moon and star gazers in Guelph will also have a great night to work. The forecast calls for clear skies and a minimum of seven degrees.