Full moon dates and names

Where the names come from

The names follow The Old Farmer's Almanac, which gathers them from Native American, Colonial American and other North American traditions: Wolf (January), Snow, Worm, Pink, Flower, Strawberry, Buck, Sturgeon, Corn, Hunter's, Beaver and Cold (December). They tie each month to what was happening outside: deer growing antlers in July, sturgeon being caught in August, beavers retreating into their lodges in November. They follow northern seasons, so in Australia or Argentina they will feel out of step.

Harvest, Hunter's and Blue Moons

The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the September equinox, so it can fall in late September or early October; when it lands in October, September's full moon keeps the name Corn Moon. The Hunter's Moon is the full moon after the Harvest Moon. A Blue Moon here is the second full moon in one calendar month, the definition the US Naval Observatory uses. Because a full moon is a single instant, it can be the 31st in one time zone and the 1st in another, which decides whether a month has a Blue Moon where you are.

Times, moonrise and the calendar file

Each card gives the exact moment of full moon in your time zone and the moonrise nearest to it, which is usually the best evening to watch it come up. Add to calendar saves an .ics file of all-day events you can import into most calendar apps.