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Moon calendar · This month’s full moon, 7 August 2017

Moon calendar: August 2017

In August 2017 the full moon falls on 7 Aug (the Sturgeon Moon) and the new moon on 21 Aug. Every day below shows the Moon’s shape and how much of it is lit, with exact phase times underneath.

Key facts · August 2017
  • 7 Aug, 21:10 Vilnius time: full moon, traditionally the Sturgeon Moon.
  • 15 Aug, 04:15 Vilnius time: last quarter.
  • 21 Aug, 21:30 Vilnius time: new moon.
  • 29 Aug, 11:13 Vilnius time: first quarter.
  • During August 2017 the Moon passes through all eight phases. One full cycle takes about 29.5 days.
  • The next full moon after this month is on 6 September 2017 (September 2017).
Moon calendar

August 2017

Illumination at noon, Europe/Vilnius

Moon phase times, August 2017

The four principal phases are moments, not whole days. Times are given in UTC and in Europe/Vilnius time.

DatePhaseEurope/VilniusUTC
Mon 7 AugFull moon · Sturgeon Moon21:1018:10
Tue 15 AugLast quarter04:1501:15
Mon 21 AugNew moon21:3018:30
Tue 29 AugFirst quarter11:1308:13

The sky: August 2017

Planets and sky events this month, as seen in London. The Moon's phases are in the calendar above.

Planets visible (mid-month)

Events

Thu 3 AugThe Moon near SaturnAbout 3.4° apart. Look for Saturn next to the Moon.
Sat 12 AugPerseids meteor shower peakUp to 100 meteors an hour in a perfect sky. The Moon is 77% lit: only the brightest meteors will show.
Sat 19 AugThe Moon near VenusAbout 2.3° apart. Look for Venus next to the Moon.
Fri 25 AugThe Moon near JupiterAbout 3.3° apart. Look for Jupiter next to the Moon.
Wed 30 AugThe Moon near SaturnAbout 3.5° apart. Look for Saturn next to the Moon.

Sky tonight →

How to read the moon calendar

Each day shows its date, the share of the Moon’s disc that is lit at noon, and the Moon’s shape that day. When a full moon, new moon or quarter falls on a day, it is named at the bottom of the cell.

Illumination is the part of the disc lit by the Sun. It grows from new moon to full moon (waxing) and shrinks from full moon to new moon (waning). Each day opens its own page with every signal for that date.

Full moon dates 2017

DateTime (UTC)Traditional name
Thu 12 Jan11:33Wolf Moonpassed
Sat 11 Feb00:32Snow Moonpassed
Sun 12 Mar14:53Worm Moonpassed
Tue 11 Apr06:08Pink Moonpassed
Thu 11 May21:42Flower Moonpassed
Fri 9 Jun13:09Strawberry Moonpassed
Sun 9 Jul04:06Buck Moonpassed
Mon 7 Aug18:10Sturgeon Moonpassed
Wed 6 Sep07:02Harvest Moonpassed
Thu 5 Oct18:40Hunter’s Moonpassed
Sat 4 Nov05:22Beaver Moonpassed
Sun 3 Dec15:46Cold Moonpassed

New moon dates 2017

DateTime (UTC)
Sat 28 Jan00:07passed
Sun 26 Feb14:58passed
Tue 28 Mar02:57passed
Wed 26 Apr12:16passed
Thu 25 May19:44passed
Sat 24 Jun02:30passed
Sun 23 Jul09:45passed
Mon 21 Aug18:30passed
Wed 20 Sep05:29passed
Thu 19 Oct19:12passed
Sat 18 Nov11:42passed
Mon 18 Dec06:30passed

The eight moon phases explained

Four principal phases are exact instants; the four in between are the days that connect them.

waxing →← waningEarthNew moonWaxing crescentFirst quarterWaxing gibbousFull moonWaning gibbousLast quarterWaning crescentwaxing →← waningEarthNew moonWaxing crescentFirst quarterWaxing gibbousFull moonWaning gibbousLast quarterWaning crescent
New moonMoon between Earth and Sun; not visible.
Waxing crescentA thin sliver grows on the right after sunset.
First quarterHalf lit; highest at sunset.
Waxing gibbousMore than half lit and still growing.
Full moonFully lit; rises at sunset, sets at sunrise.
Waning gibbousMore than half lit and shrinking; rises late in the evening.
Last quarterHalf lit; highest at sunrise.
Waning crescentA thin sliver before dawn.

Solar and lunar eclipses in 2017

No eclipse data for 2017.

Solar and lunar eclipses →

The waning moon is traditionally a time for finishing

Haircut calendar →Folk calendars place trims that should grow back slowly in the waning half of the month.
Clearing and sortingThe two weeks after a full moon are traditionally kept for cleaning, pruning and closing what is open.
Journal promptWhat can I stop carrying before the next new moon?

Questions people ask

When is the full moon in August 2017?

The full moon is on 7 August 2017. Its traditional name is the Sturgeon Moon. The exact time is in the table on this page.

When is the new moon in August 2017?

The new moon is on 21 August 2017. The Moon can’t be seen that night: it sits between Earth and the Sun with its lit side turned away.

What do the percentages mean?

They show how much of the Moon’s disc is lit at noon. 0% is new moon, 100% is full moon and 50% is a quarter.

Why does another calendar give a different date?

A phase is a moment. When it falls near midnight, the date can differ by one day between time zones. This calendar uses Europe/Vilnius time for the days.

How often is there a full moon?

About every 29.5 days. Some months have two; the second is called a Blue Moon.

Sources
  1. Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, 2nd ed., Willmann-Bell, 1998, chapters 48 and 49.
  2. NASA Eclipse Web Site (eclipse dates and visibility).
How this page is made

Numbers update through the day from public sources. The text for each day is written from that day’s data and checked by the editor. Every past day keeps its own page in the archive.

The moon is one of five signals

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