All full moons are impressive sights on their own, but this week's Full Harvest Moon will be especially noteworthy. In addition to being a slightly larger-than-average "supermoon," September's full moon will also experience a partial lunar eclipse when it rises on the evening of Sept. 17.

The partial lunar eclipse will be visible from most of North America, all of South America, Europe, all but the easternmost parts of Africa, western portions of Asia and Russia, and parts of Antarctica.

If you are unable to watch the lunar eclipse in person you can watch all the action unfold online here on Space.com. We have rounded up several livestreams that are showing the Super Harvest Moon lunar eclipse on Sept. 17.

"Supermoon" is a non-astronomical term that describes a full moon that occurs when the moon is at or close to perigee, the closest approach to Earth in its slightly elliptical orbit. During these times, the moon can appear a bit larger in the sky, although the difference can be difficult to notice with the naked eye for most observers.

September's Full Harvest Moon is the second of four consecutive supermoons this year, following August's Supermoon Blue Moon.

The name harvest moon is a nod to the season of gathering because the event occurs close to the beginning of fall, or the autumnal equinox, which fell this year on September 23. Typically, this time of year is when many crops peak in the Northern Hemisphere, and the bright moon once helped farmers work into the evening to harvest their bounty ahead of the first frost, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Other monikers for September’s full moon across different indigenous tribes include the corn maker moon from the Abenaki tribe, the moon of the brown leaves from the Lakota people and autumn moon from the Passamaquoddy tribe.

Other harvest-celebrating traditions around this time include the Korean festival of Chuseok and the Japanese Buddhist holiday of Higan, both of which also celebrate the remembrance of ancestors, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.

Many people associate the harvest moon with being orange in color as it begins to rise, but the same could be said of all full moons. The hue is due to the thickness of Earth’s atmosphere near the horizon, which is greater than when the full moon is overhead, according to EarthSky.

Several planets are also currently visible in the night sky, according to The Planetary Society. Gold-tinged Saturn and bright Jupiter rise in the east and appear high in the later hours, while Venus (one of the brightest objects visible in the night sky) shines before dawn. Meanwhile, Mercury dances low along the eastern horizon before dawn.

Learn Native American Names: Soaproot (Pomo). Corn Moon (Pueblo). Harvest moon (Hopi). Singing Moon (Celtic). Leaf fall Moon (Kiowa). Ripe Moon (San Juan). Maize Moon (Natchez). Acorns Moon (Wishram). Rice Moon (Anishnaabe). Hay Cutting Moon (Yuchi). Mulberry Moon (Choctaw). Deer Paw Moon (Omaha). Snow Goose Moon (Cree). Freshness Moon (Mohawk). Harvest Moon (Neo-Pagan). Harvest (Colonial American). Little Chestnut Moon (Creek). Corn Maker Moon (Abernaki). Drying Grass Moon (Arapaho). Yellow Leaf Moon (Assiniboine). Drying Grass Moon (Cheyenne). Autumn Moon (Passamaquoddy). Barley Moon (Mediaeval English). Calves Hair Growth Moon (Dakota). Yellow Leaf Moon(Taos Native American). Nut Moon, Black Butterfly Moon (Cherokee). Drying Grass Moon, Black Calve Moon, fScarlet Plum Moon (Sioux). Harvest Moon, Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Fruit Moon, Dying Grass Moon (Algonquin).

Harvest full moon last night how beautiful 🌕🧘‍♀️🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/PlAe7mubgk

— Leíghá Loughran (@Leighaloughran_) September 17, 2024

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August continues to be an exciting month for sky-gazers. Closely following the peak of the Perseid meteor shower last week, the first of the year’s four consecutive supermoons is set to rise on August 19. The rare cosmic combination of a supermoon and blue moon peaks at 2:26 p.m. ET Monday.

The last time this lunar event occurred was August 2023, and the next super blue moons are projected for January and March of 2037. Approximately one-quarter of all full moons are supermoons, while a mere 3% of full moons are blue moons.

So-called supermoons appear as the biggest and brightest lunar events of the year. The moon’s orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle but an elliptical path. Scientists refer to the moon’s nearest point to Earth — an average distance of about 226,000 miles (363,300 kilometers) — along its 27-day journey as the satellite’s perigee, according to NASA.

There are varied definitions for supermoons, said Noah Petro, lab chief of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry lab. However, a full moon within 90% of perigee is often described as a supermoon, he said.

When the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, it can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than when it’s at its farthest point from the planet, known as apogee, about 251,000 miles (405,500 kilometers) from Earth.

Why is it called the Full Sturgeon Moon?

It’s a name derived from a Native American tribe that used to track the seasons using the Moon. At this time of year the sturgeon fish, North America's largest lake fish, used to be caught in the Great Lakes, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac (it’s now critically endangered). The Full Green Corn Moon, Full Barley Moon, Wheat Cut Moon, Blueberry Moon, and Blackberry Moon are other names that have been given to August’s full moon by various tribes, again to indicate the harvest time for those crops. There are two chances to see the full moon at its most illuminated this month. Here are times for 10 cities around the world.

The Anishnaabe (Chippewa and Ojibwe) call it miini-giizis, the berry moon, while the Assiniboine of the northern plains named it capasapsaba, black cherries moon. The Lakota call it wasutoa wi, moon of the ripening, while the Sioux dubbed it cherries turn black.

Likewise the Tlingit have dubbed their August full moon sha-ha-yi, or berries ripe on mountain. Also in the fruit realm are the Wishram of the Columbia River in Washington and Oregon, who called it blackberry patches moon, and the Shawnee, with po'kamawi kiishthwa, or plum moon.

August Full Moon Names From Native American and Other Different Cultures Joyful Moon (Hopi). First Acorns (Pomo). Ripen moon (Dakota). Dispute Moon (Celtic). Cutter Moon (Abernaki). Dog Days moon (Yuchi). Corn Silk Moon (Ponca). Harvest Moon (Chinese). Berry Moon (Anishnaabe). Women's Moon (Choctaw). Mulberries Moon (Natchez). Middle moon (Potawatomi). Freshness Moon (Mohawk). Yelow flower moon (Osage). Blackberry Moon (Wishram). Acorns Ripen Moon (Maidu). Wheat Cut Moon (San Juan). Lightning Moon (Neo Pagan). Black Cherries Moon (Sioux). Yellow Leaves moon (Kiowa).

Edible Corn Moon (Algonquin). Young Ducks Fly Moon (Cree). Black Cherries Moon (Assiniboine). Dog Day's Moon (Colonial American). Autumn Moon (Taos Native American). Corn Moon, Wort Moon (Medieval English). Geese Shedding Feathers Moon (Arapaho). Feather Shedding Moon (Passamaquoddy). Dispute Moon (Full Janic), Harvest Moon (Dark Janic). Big Harvest moon, Heat Moon, Big Rippening Moon (Creek). Fruit Moon, Drying Moon, Last Fruit Moon, Grain Moon (Cherokee). Red Moon,Sturgeon Moon, Green Corn Moon, Dog Days Moon (Algonquin).

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The seventh full moon of 2024—the “Buck Moon”—will grace the early evening skies this coming week as it rises in the east just as the sun sets in the west. Named the “Buck Moon”—but also known as the “Thunder Moon” and the “Hay Moon”—here’s everything you need to know about it, including exactly when, where and how to see it at its best from where you are:

When Is The ‘Buck Moon?’ The “Buck Moon” will turn full at 10:17 UTC/6:17 a.m. EDT on Sunday, July 21, but from North America, the best time to watch it rise will be at moonrise the previous evening.

The full moon will look its biggest and best as it appears on the eastern horizon during dusk. For about 15-20 minutes, it will appear orange. That’s because you’re looking at it through the densest part of Earth’s atmosphere.

Long-wavelength red and orange light travels more easily through the atmosphere than short-wavelength blue light, which strikes more particles and gets scattered. The same physics (Raleigh scattering) explains why a sunset looks orange.

"The full Moon in July is called the Buck Moon because the antlers of male deer (bucks) are in full-growth mode at this time," as The Old Farmer's Almanac says. "Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year, producing a larger and more impressive set as the years go by."

The name "Buck Moon" arises from a traditional name from the Algonquin tribes, according to a NASA July 2021 moon guide, in what is now the northeastern United States, eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. That said, the moon may not be called the same name by all Algonquin peoples or by all Indigenous cultures; for example, another name attributed to the Algonquin for the July moon is the Thunder Moon. Rao names a few other Indigenous July moon names in his column.

Europeans (traditional) called this the Hay Moon due to the haymaking season, and sometimes the Mead Moon. Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains may call July's moon the Guru Full Moon (Guru Purnima), "celebrated as a time for clearing the mind and honoring the guru or spiritual master," NASA said.

Theravada Buddhists may call July's moon the Asalha Puha (also known as Dharma Day or Esala Poya – a festival celebrating Buddha's first sermon, NASA said). July's moon also marks the beginning of a three-month annual Buddhist retreat called Vassa.

July's full moon has also been called the Full Thunder Moon and the Full Hay Moon, as July is considered to be the season with the most frequent thunderstorms and the time of year when farmers harvest, bale and stow hay for the upcoming winter.

July Moon names from different cultures Raptor Moon (Hopi). Smoky Moon (Maidu). Ripe Moon (San Juan). Crane Moon (Choctaw). Claiming Moon (Celtic). Rose Moon (Neo Pagan). Peaches Moon (Natchez). Ducks Moult Moon (Cree). Ripening Moon (Mohawk). Grass Cutter Moon (Abernaki). Buffalo Bellow Moon (Omaha). Hungry Ghost Moon (Chinese). Ripe Squash Moon (Algonquin). Raspberry Moon (Anishnaabe). Salmon River moon (Wishram). Mead Moon (Medieval English). Middle Summer Moon (Ponca). Middle Summer Moon (Dakota). Red Berries moon (Assiniboine).

Young Corn Moon (Potawatomi). Buffalo Bellows Moon (Arapaho). Wild Red Cherries Moon (Sioux). Corn Popping moon (Winnebago). Ripening Moon (Passamaquoddy). Horse Moon, Ripe Moon (Apache). Summer Moon (Colonial American). Dropping Deer Horns Moon (Kiowa). Ripe Corn Moon, Hay Moon (Cherokee). Sun House Moon (Taos Native American). Claiming moon (Full Janic), Blessing Moon (Dark Janic). Little Harvest Moon, Blackberry Moon, Little Ripening Moon (Creek). Hay Moon, Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Summer Moon (Algonquin).

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June's full "Strawberry Moon" rises one day after the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. This will be the lowest full moon of the year.

The full moon's closeness to the date of the solstice, or the start of the astronomical summer, has a noticeable visual effect. Since a full moon sits opposite the sun relative to Earth, it mirrors the sun's position in the sky. In June — and particularly close to the solstice — the sun is at its highest of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Its position at midday on the solstice, on June 20 this year, is the highest it ever gets. That makes the full moon the following day the lowest of the year.

It's also the farthest full moon from the sun of the year. That's because the Earth's slightly elliptical orbit of the sun takes it farthest away on July 5. That point is Earth's annual aphelion. Therefore, the closest full moon to that date must be the moon's annual aphelion.

June's full moon is often referred to as the Strawberry Moon because it falls during the strawberry harvesting season in the northeastern U.S. Similarly, June's full moon has also been called the Rose Moon because it occurs around the time roses bloom.

However, this month's full moon has also gone by several other names, including Mead Moon, Honey Moon, Flower Moon, Hot Moon, Hoe Moon, and the Planting Moon, all of which stem from European or Native American origin and represent various milestones of the summer season, according to NASA.

The nicknames Mead Moon or Honey Moon represent the time in June when honey is ready for harvesting. Mead, or honey wine, is a drink created by fermenting honey mixed with water and sometimes with fruits, spices, grains or hops. Rising around the time honey is harvested, the June full moon is often considered the "sweetest" moon of the year. Subsequently, the term "honeymoon" can be traced back to the tradition of marrying in June and the joyfulness of the first month of marriage.

Native American Names for June Moon Leaves Moon (Cree). Ripe Berries (Dakota). Hoer moon (Abernaki). Windy Moon (Choctaw). Summer moon (Kiowa). Buffalo Moon (Omaha). Leaf Moon (Assiniboine). Corn Tassel Moon(Taos). Green grass Moon(Sioux). Ripening Moon (Mohawk). Turtle Moon (Potawatomi). Making fat Moon (Lakota).Leaf Dark Moon (San Juan). Major Planting Moon (Hopi). Planting Moon (Neo Pagan). Fish Spoils Moon (Wishram). Water melon Moon (Natchez). Hot Weather moon (Arapaho). Dyad Moon (Medieval English). Strawberry Moon (Anishnaabe). Dark green leaves Moon (Pueblo). Summer Moon (Passamaquoddy). Green Corn Moon, Flower Moon (Cherokee). Mead Moon (Full Janic), Strawberry moon (Dark Janic). Honey Moon, Hot Moon, Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon (Algonquin).

Other Moon names : Hay Moon, Aerra Litha Moon, Strong Sun Moon, Lovers Moon Hot weather moon (Ponca).

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The U.S. House passed a bill to remove Endangered Species Act protections for the gray wolf. Precedent tells us that if this becomes law, it could prove fatal for wolf recovery efforts.

Long, long ago, gray wolves roamed and howled in every state in the Lower 48 (before states were states). The wolf howled in Alaska, too, and the animal’s population there remains healthy.

Sixty years ago, the wolf was intentionally exterminated from the continental U.S., except for small packs that managed to hang on in the northern parts of Minnesota and Michigan.

Today, wolves are in 13 states – California is the latest state that’s been reclaimed by wolves. They have slowly regained turf and in doing so have rewilded habitats. This recovery is in part augmented by an evolving appreciation and understanding of wolves and their importance in the natural world.

The recovery of wolves was also assisted by the Endangered Species Act, which protected gray wolves in 1974.

The big bad bill to re-eradicate wolves



But now a U.S. House bill essentially says ‘enough is enough’ and seeks to halt efforts to recover this wild animal. Introduced by Rep. Boebert (Colo.), the bill also tells us, or so it seems, that our evolving understanding of wolves remains a work in process.

On the last day of April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Boebert bill, voting to strip away Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves – no matter what the science says, no matter what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determines, no matter what’s happening with wolf populations. It passed in the House by the hair of the little pig’s chinny chin chin, 209-205, and now is in the Senate.

What will happen if the bill becomes law?

Recent precedent suggests it won’t be pretty if protections are stripped. Look no further than the states where wolves were delisted in the past. Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Wisconsin all unleashed devastating wolf eradication policies. When wolves temporarily lost their protections in Wisconsin, 216 were killed in less than 60 hours.

The Northern Rockies states are the one place where wolves aren’t on the endangered species list. The region has witnessed wolf kills not seen in a century. Bait, neck snares, helicopters and night hunting with spotlights have all been used to diminish wolf populations. Idaho’s law allows up to 90% of the state’s wolves to be killed.



Which states have wolves, and what’s needed to help the animal recover?

Here are the states with established or semi-established gray wolf populations: California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Plus, there are Mexican gray wolves, a sub-population of the gray wolf, in Arizona and New Mexico.

Additionally, Colorado voters chose to reintroduce wolves, and some have now been released. Time will tell if they create an established pack, but the state certainly has the habitat and the backing of voters to make it happen. Finally, there’s chatter about whether Maine has wolves. Certainly it and other states have been blessed on occasion with a wandering wolf or two, visiting from somewhere else.

Animosity toward wolves is understandable. Think Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs and more. Wolves are predators.

But here’s the counter vision. Our lives are better in a world filled with beauty and nature. Howling wolves are a rich, important part of this vision. So let’s help the species continue to recover and rewild our planet.

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