When was the last full moon?
The last full moon was on Friday, August 28, 2026, known as the Sturgeon Moon. It was the full moon in Pisces and was the ninth full moon of the year.
A full moon is the third of the four lunar phases, in the middle of the lunar month. A full moon occurs approximately a month or 29.53 days on average. Most years have 12 full moons but every few years there are 13 full moons in a year.
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.
Date and time of the last full moon
The last full moon was on Friday, August 28th, at 12:18 a.m. ET. The moon looked fairly full the day before and after. The August full moon was the ninth of the year and will be followed by the next full moon coming up this month.
This year the August 28 Full Moon was the third full moon of Summer as the third to occur after the Summer Solstice. Depending on the year, the August Full Moon is either the second or third Summer Full Moon. The season changed on Sunday June 21st at 4:25 a.m. with the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.
Name of the full moon
In 2026, the name of the last full moon was the Full Sturgeon Moon. It’s likely not a name you would guess. The Full Sturgeon Moon gets its name as sturgeon are caught in high numbers in North America’s Great Lakes at that time of year.
Other nicknames for the August Full Moon include the Barley Moon, Corn Moon, Dog Moon, Fruit Moon, Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Herb Moon, Red Moon, and Wyrt Moon.
Was there a lunar eclipse during the August full moon?
Yes, there was a Total Lunar Eclipse, also called a Blood Moon during the full moon in August. A total lunar eclipse is also called a blood moon because of the color of the moon during the eclipse. It was the last of the lunar eclipses for the year. The other was during the March Full Moon.
Was the last full moon a supermoon or micromoon?
No, there was not a full supermoon in August. The 2026 super full moons will be during the January Full Moon, November Full Moon and December Full Moon.
There isn’t an official definition of the exact distance the moon needs to be to be called a supermoon. It’s approximately 360,000 kilometers or closer, depending on the definition. The full moon must be at least 405,000 km away from the Earth to be considered a micromoon.
Was August a blue moon?
No, there was not a blue moon in August. There was a a blue moon at the end of May.
There are two definitions of blue moons. The most common, and the one you likely know, is when two full moons occur in the same month. The second full moon is typically called a blue moon.
The second definition relates to having an extra full moon on the calendar during a season. When a season has four full moons, the third full moon is also called a blue moon or a seasonal blue moon. While this is likely the original defintion of a blue moon, the other defintion is more commonly used. Seasonal blue moons only occur in May, August, November and rarely February.
Lunar month including the August full moon
Below are the four core moon phases for the Sturgeon moon, including the new, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter.
The lunar cycle began in August and ends in September, spanning two seasons.
The next new moon in August was start of the lunar cycle for the August full moon.
| Date & Time | Phase | Season | Moon Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 12, 1:37 p.m. (Wednesday) | New | Spring | New Sturgeon Moon |
| August 19, 10:46 p.m. (Wednesday) | First Quarter | Summer | First Quarter |
| August 28, 12:18 a.m. (Friday) | Full | Summer | Full Sturgeon Moon |
| September 4, 3:51 a.m. (Friday) | Last Quarter | Summer | Last Quarter |
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.