In 1987, there were 12 full moons, one for each month. The year had 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 1987
The complete list of full moon dates in 1987 were:
- Wednesday, January 14, 1987 at 9:31 p.m. ET — Full Wolf Moon in Cancer
- Friday, February 13, 1987 at 3:58 p.m. ET — Full Snow Moon in Leo
- Sunday, March 15, 1987 at 8:13 a.m. ET — Full Worm Moon in Virgo
- Monday, April 13, 1987 at 10:31 p.m. ET — Full Pink Moon in Libra
- Wednesday, May 13, 1987 at 8:50 a.m. ET — Full Flower Moon in Scorpio
- Thursday, June 11, 1987 at 4:49 p.m. ET — Full Strawberry Moon in Sagittarius
- Friday, July 10, 1987 at 11:33 p.m. ET — Full Buck Moon in Capricorn
- Sunday, August 9, 1987 at 6:17 a.m. ET — Full Sturgeon Moon in Aquarius
- Monday, September 7, 1987 at 2:13 p.m. ET — Full Corn Moon in Pisces
- Wednesday, October 7, 1987 at 12:12 a.m. ET — Full Harvest Moon in Aries
- Thursday, November 5, 1987 at 11:46 a.m. ET — Full Beaver Moon in Taurus
- Saturday, December 5, 1987 at 3:01 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.
1987 Lunar Eclipses
In 1987 there was a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on Monday, April 13 at 10:19 p.m. and another Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on Wednesday, October 7 at 12:02 a.m. Both were visible in North America as they occurred during the overnight hours.
Supermoons
The closest full moon of 1987 was the July Full Moon on Friday, July 10 at 11:33 p.m. While there isn’t an official defintion of a supermoon, the full moons in May, June, July, August, and September were considered supermoons based on their distance from the earth.
Full Moon 1987 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
1986 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