Austin stargazers who missed Thursday night’s cloudy lunar eclipse still have a reason to look up Friday night.
August’s full moon, known as the Sturgeon Moon, will remain nearly fully illuminated on Aug. 28, giving viewers another chance to catch the bright late-summer moon. The moon is expected to rise in Austin at about 8:18 p.m. Friday, according to Time and Date.
The Sturgeon Moon officially reached its fullest point at 11:18 p.m. Thursday, but full moons generally appear full to the naked eye for more than one night. In Austin, the moon will still appear full Friday night before continuing to wane.
The name has nothing to do with how the moon looks.
The Sturgeon Moon gets its name from lake sturgeon, large freshwater fish historically found in the Great Lakes and other waterways. The fish were more readily caught around this time of year, leading the name to become associated with August’s full moon.
The eclipse began at 8:23 p.m. Thursday, with the partial phase starting at 9:33 p.m. It reached its maximum at 11:12 p.m., when most of the moon passed through the darkest portion of Earth’s shadow. The partial eclipse ended at 12:51 a.m. Friday.
During a lunar eclipse, Earth passes between the sun and moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. Sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere can give the moon a reddish or orange appearance.
The eclipse won’t repeat Friday night, but the Sturgeon Moon will still put on a show. Austinites can look toward the eastern sky around 8:18 p.m. as the moon rises, weather permitting.