| The phase of the Moon in which it is fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This occurs once every lunar
month when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun. For this reason, the full
moon reaches its highest elevation at midnight. There are months in which no full moons occur. For example,
there was a full moon at 18:25 universal time on Feb. 28, 1991. This means there was no February full moon in
east Asia and the Pacific, where it was already March. Years in which February lacked a full moon are
1809, 1847, 1866, 1885, 1915, 1934, 1961, 1999, 2018, 2037, 2067, 2094 (Meeus 1995, Odenwald).
There are also months with two full moons. The second full moon in a month is known as a blue Moon.
Because this happens fairly infrequently, it has resulted in the expression "once in a blue moon."
Full Moons occur on Julian days
where n is a half-integer. Lunar eclipses can only occur at full moon.
The following table gives the dates and times (in UT) for Full
Moons in 1998-2000. An asterisk indicates a blue Moon (at least in universal time).
| Lunation |
2001 Date |
Lunation |
2002 Date |
Lunation |
2003 Date |
| 1249.5 |
2001-01-09 15:24 |
1262.5 |
2002-01-28 17:50 |
1274.5 |
2003-01-18 05:50 |
| 1250.5 |
2001-02-08 02:11 |
1263.5 |
2002-02-27 04:17 |
1275.5 |
2003-02-16 18:53 |
| 1251.5 |
2001-03-09 12:23 |
1264.5 |
2002-03-28 13:26 |
1276.5 |
2003-03-18 05:35 |
| 1252.5 |
2001-04-07 22:22 |
1265.5 |
2002-04-26 21:59 |
1277.5 |
2003-04-16 14:34 |
| 1253.5 |
2001-05-07 08:51 |
1266.5 |
2002-05-26 06:49 |
1278.5 |
2003-05-15 22:34 |
| 1254.5 |
2001-06-05 20:38 |
1267.5 |
2002-06-24 16:40 |
1279.5 |
2003-06-14 06:14 |
| 1255.5 |
2001-07-05 10:04 |
1268.5 |
2002-07-24 04:06 |
1280.5 |
2003-07-13 14:20 |
| 1256.5 |
2001-08-04 00:57 |
1269.5 |
2002-08-22 17:29 |
1281.5 |
2003-08-11 23:46 |
| 1257.5 |
2001-09-02 16:43 |
1270.5 |
2002-09-21 08:59 |
1282.5 |
2003-09-10 11:35 |
| 1258.5 |
2001-10-02 08:49 |
1271.5 |
2002-10-21 02:21 |
1283.5 |
2003-10-10 02:29 |
| 1259.5 |
2001-11-01 00:43 |
1272.5 |
2002-11-19 20:36 |
1284.5 |
2003-11-08 20:16 |
| 1260.5 |
2001-11-30 15:52 |
1273.5 |
2002-12-19 14:12 |
1285.5 |
2003-12-08 15:38 |
| 1261.5 |
2001-12-30 05:42 |
|
|
|
|
| Lunation |
2004 Date |
Lunation |
2005 Date |
Lunation |
2006 Date |
| 1286.5 |
2004-01-07 15:41 |
1299.5 |
2005-01-25 10:32 |
1311.5 |
2006-01-14 09:47 |
| 1287.5 |
2004-02-06 08:49 |
1300.5 |
2005-02-24 04:54 |
1312.5 |
2006-02-13 04:43 |
| 1288.5 |
2004-03-06 23:17 |
1301.5 |
2005-03-25 20:59 |
1313.5 |
2006-03-14 23:33 |
| 1289.5 |
2004-04-05 11:03 |
1302.5 |
2005-04-24 10:07 |
1314.5 |
2006-04-13 16:39 |
| 1290.5 |
2004-05-04 20:33 |
1303.5 |
2005-05-23 20:20 |
1315.5 |
2006-05-13 06:52 |
| 1291.5 |
2004-06-03 04:19 |
1304.5 |
2005-06-22 04:15 |
1316.5 |
2006-06-11 18:05 |
| 1292.5 |
2004-07-02 11:09 |
1305.5 |
2005-07-21 11:01 |
1317.5 |
2006-07-11 03:03 |
| 1293.5 |
2004-07-31 18:05 |
1306.5 |
2005-08-19 17:54 |
1318.5 |
2006-08-09 10:55 |
| 1294.5 |
2004-08-30 02:21 |
1307.5 |
2005-09-18 02:02 |
1319.5 |
2006-09-07 18:44 |
| 1295.5 |
2004-09-28 13:08 |
1308.5 |
2005-10-17 12:14 |
1320.5 |
2006-10-07 03:14 |
| 1296.5 |
2004-10-28 03:07 |
1309.5 |
2005-11-16 00:56 |
1321.5 |
2006-11-05 12:58 |
| 1297.5 |
2004-11-26 20:07 |
1310.5 |
2005-12-15 16:14 |
1322.5 |
2006-12-05 00:23 |
| 1298.5 |
2004-12-26 15:06 |
|
|
|
|
Special names are given to the full moons in each month, although there are several different
naming conventions variously attributed to different Native American tribes (Minutillo, NOBLE, Haspel and Knutson 1993,
Ottewell 1999, Thomas and Hale 1999). An extensive tabulation by tribe is given by Konstantin.
| Month |
Name |
| January |
Old Moon,
Wolf Moon,
Cold Moon,
Moon After Yule |
| February |
Snow Moon,
Bony Moon,
Hunger Moon (Passamaquoddy),
Opening Buds Moon (southern tribes) |
| March |
Sap Moon,
Worm Moon,
Windy Moon,
Lenten Moon,
Crow Moon,
Crust Moon,
Maple Sugar Moon |
| April |
Grass Moon,
Pink Moon,
Flower Moon,
Egg Moon,
Moon of the Red Grass Appearing,
Frog Moon,
Planter's Moon |
| May |
Milk Moon,
Flower Moon,
Planting Moon,
Budding Moon (Huron) |
| June |
Rose Moon,
Strawberry Moon,
Green Corn Moon,
Flower Moon,
Honey Moon |
| July |
Thunder Moon,
Buck Moon,
Ripe Corn Moon,
Hay Moon,
Blood Moon |
| August |
Green Corn Moon,
Corn Moon,
Fruit Moon,
Grain Moon,
Sturgeon Moon |
| September |
Fruit Moon,
Harvest Moon,
Nut Moon
Barley Moon |
| October |
Harvest Moon,
Hunter's Moon,
Moon of Falling Leaves (Cree) |
| November |
Frost Moon,
Beaver Moon,
Trading Moon,
Hunter's Moon |
| December |
Long Night Moon,
Cold Moon,
Snow Moon,
Moon Before Yule |
|
