Full Moon – What is a Full Moon?

What is a Full Moon? A full moon takes place when the moon and the Earth are located on opposite sides of the Sun. At this time, the moon, earth, and sun are aligned in a straight line. A full moon is a lunar phase, in which the illuminated side of the moon faces the Earth and humans see the lighted side of the moon. Lunar eclipses are only possible during a phase of the full moon. When the geocentric longitudes of the moon and the sun are at a variance of precisely 180 degrees, a full moon occurs. An observer on Earth would see an almost completely illuminated and perfectly round moon. It is only when the moon is full that the opposing side, which is not visible to an observer on Earth, is entirely unlit­. Observers are faced with the illusion that the moon is perfectly round, however the moon is actually more of an egg shaped and the pointed end is facing the earth. A full moon is a beautiful phenomenon which possesses the extreme glowing light and size in the sky to draw the attention of any viewer on Earth.

When is a Full Moon?

Every 29.5 days, the end of a total lunar cycle, a full moon occurs. It’s phase of influence actually exists for a total of 9 days. It occurs for 3 days prior, 3 days during, and lasts for 3 days after. Sometimes there are two full moons in one month which occurs about every three years. The second full moon of the month is called a blue moon. The only month that can pass without any full moon at all is February, due to it’s limited number of days. Every full moon has a different name, depending on the month. They get their names according to the season and nature at the time (September- Harvest Moon).

Effects of a Full Moon

Tidal waves are also changed when the moon is full. At this time, high and low tides are at an absolute maximum and minimum. Also, the chances of being bitten by a dog are twice as high when the moon is full. There are several superstitions linked to the occurrence of a full moon, the most popular being to werewolf myths and legends.

Full Moon Calendars

Full Moon

Full Moon
Several religious calendars are based on the different phases of the Moon, including Hindu, Tibetan, Mayan and Celtic religions. None of the calendars feature the full moon as the start of the calendar, most have the full moon occur somewhere in the middle of the month. Many believers of certain religions hold rituals to celebrate the coming of a full moon. For example, the neo-pagans hold a monthly ritual called an Esbat.
Some popular moon calendars include the following: Moon Calendar 2011, Moon Calendar 2012, Moon Calendar 2013, Moon Calendar 2014, Moon Calendar 2015, Moon Calendar 2016, Moon Calendar 2017, Moon Calendar 2018, Moon Calendar 2019, Moon Calendar 2020.You can also check out our Full Moon Calendar, Lunar Calendar, Lunar Eclipse Calendar and Solar Eclipse Calendar!

Full Moon Calendar 2019 Dates

This calendar is expressed in Coordinated Universal Time and includes the dates, names, and times of all of the 2019 dates.
Full MoonYearDateTimeDay
Wolf Moon2020Jan 1019:21Mon
Snow Moon2020Feb 907:33Tue
Worm Moon2020Mar 917:48Thu
Pink Moon2020Apr 802:35Sat
Flower Moon2020May 710:45Mon
Strawberry Moon2020Jun 519:12Tue
Buck Moon2020Jul 504:44Thu
Sturgeon Moon2020Aug 315:59Sat
Harvest Moon2020Sep 205:22Mon
Hunters Moon2020Oct 121:05Tue
Blue Moon2020Oct 3114:49Fri
Beaver Moon2020Nov 3009:30Wed
Cold Moon2020Dec 3003:28Fri