In 1986, there were 12 full moons, one for each month. The year had a seasonal blue moon and two lunar eclipses.
The full moon is one of the four primary lunar phases, which also include the new moon, the first quarter, and the last quarter. The lunar month last approximately a month or 29.53 days on average, also called a synodic month.
A new moon is the first lunar phase. You may be able to see a hint of it of it in the night sky. A full moon occurs when the Earth is directly between the Sun and the Moon, allowing the moon to appear illuminated entirely. The first quarter moon occurs between the new moon and the full moon, and the last quarter moon occurs after the full moon and before the next new moon.
All times and dates are in the United States Eastern Time Zone, with Daylight Savings Time observed for part of the year. The dates in your local time may shift.
Full Moon in 1986
The complete list of full moon dates in 1986 were:
- Saturday, January 25, 1986 at 7:31 p.m. ET — Full Wolf Moon in Leo
- Monday, February 24, 1986 at 10:02 a.m. ET — Full Snow Moon in Virgo
- Tuesday, March 25, 1986 at 10:02 p.m. ET — Full Worm Moon in Libra
- Thursday, April 24, 1986 at 7:46 a.m. ET — Full Pink Moon in Scorpio
- Friday, May 23, 1986 at 4:45 p.m. ET — Full Flower Moon in Sagittarius
- Saturday, June 21, 1986 at 11:42 p.m. ET — Full Strawberry Moon in Sagittarius
- Monday, July 21, 1986 at 6:40 a.m. ET — Full Buck Moon in Capricorn
- Tuesday, August 19, 1986 at 2:54 p.m. ET — Full Sturgeon Moon in Aquarius
- Thursday, September 18, 1986 at 1:34 a.m. ET — Full Harvest Moon in Pisces
- Friday, October 17, 1986 at 3:22 p.m. ET — Full Hunter’s Moon in Aries
- Sunday, November 16, 1986 at 7:12 a.m. ET — Full Beaver Moon in Taurus
- Tuesday, December 16, 1986 at 2:05 a.m. ET — Full Cold Moon in Gemini
Full Moon Names
Each full moon has a traditional name inspired by nature tied to cultural activities that traditionally occurred during the month. The names used today are a combination of sources, including multiple Native American Tribes, Colonial Americans, and names brought to the United States from Europe.
The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox. It occurs in September in most years, but it shifts to October about every four or five years.
Learn more about the names given to each full moon and alternate names.
Lunar Eclipses
In 1986 there was a Total Lunar Eclipse on Thursday, April 24 at 7:43 a.m. and another Total Lunar Eclipse on Friday, October 17 at 3:18 p.m. Neither were visible in the United States because they both occurred during daylight hours.
1986 Supermoons
The closest full moon of 1986 was the May Full Moon on Friday, May 23 at 4:45 p.m. While there isn’t an official defintion of a supermoon, the full moons in April, May, June, and July were considered supermoons based on their distance from the earth.
Full Moon Calendar at a Glance
Related Calendars
And if you’re interested in more calendars from this decade, check these out
1980 Full Moon Calendar
1981 Full Moon Calendar
1982 Full Moon Calendar
1983 Full Moon Calendar
1984 Full Moon Calendar
1985 Full Moon Calendar
1987 Full Moon Calendar
1988 Full Moon Calendar
1989 Full Moon Calendar
Sources
The dates and times provided by NASA are set to United States Eastern Time and adjusted for Daylight Saving Time for part of the year. Since you may be in a different time zone, the exact dates may shift for your calendar.
Learn more about the upcoming full moons
Continue your exploration of full moon dates and celestial events