When is the next full moon in the sky?

The full moon is in the sky every 29.5 days.

The lunar calendar for the year 2023 reveals when the time will come again.

Munich – About once a month you can admire the full moon in the sky.

But the celestial body is not only beautiful to look at - it also fulfills an important function for the earth: the moon stabilizes the climate on our planet, without it the earth would look very different today.

There might be no life on our planet at all.

The moon was formed about 4.5 billion years ago when a protoplanet called Theia crashed to earth.

The protoplanet broke into several parts, from which the moon was formed within hours, as a simulation shows.

The moon - a celestial body, many facets

The moon - a celestial body, many facets

Lunar calendar 2023: when the next full moon will be in the sky

The moon is constantly changing in the sky: Sometimes it doesn't appear at all - the new moon, which is not illuminated by the sun, cannot be seen in the sky.

Then it becomes the slowly waxing crescent moon and suddenly it shines from the sky as a bright full moon.

It then turns into the waning crescent moon until it disappears again in the dark as a new moon.

This moon phase cycle lasts exactly 29 days, 12 hours and 43 minutes - the waiting time for the next full moon is never more than 29.5 days.

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A look at the lunar calendar reveals when the next full moon will be in the sky.

© Thomas Lindemann/dpa

The dates for full moon 2023 at a glance:

"Blue Moon": Two full moons in one month are possible

Since the moon phase cycle is a little shorter than a month, the dates for the full and new moon are shifted by one to several days every month.

It can also happen that there are two full moons in one month.

In this case one speaks of the phenomenon of the "blue moon" ("blue moon"), which denotes the second full moon in a calendar month.

For this to happen, the first full moon must fall at the beginning of a month with as many days as possible.

In 2023 there is a "blue moon" on August 31st, the first August full moon falls on August 1st.

The largest moon of the year, the "supermoon" can be seen in the sky on August 1, 2023, the smallest moon ("micromoon") was in the sky in February.

The dates for the new moon 2023 at a glance:

In the past, the moon served as the clock for people's lives and the word "month" is derived from it.

The full moon was of great importance during harvest time in the past, as it allowed longer working hours thanks to its bright light - hence the name "harvest moon".

The date of Easter is still calculated using the full moon: Easter always falls on the Sunday after the first full moon in spring (after March 21).

Full moon is a common occurrence for many today, but in the past the full moon had different meanings in different cultures.

For example, Native Americans assigned each month's full moon its own name and specific meaning.

Some names, like the "Harvest Moon," arose from people's daily lives, while others, like the "Snow Moon," were based on natural observations.

The most common names for the full moon:

• January Full Moon:

  Wolf Moon, Ice Moon, Winter Moon, Hard Moon

• February Full Moon:

  Snow Moon, Hunger Moon, Melting Moon, Storm Moon, Thaw Moon

• Full Moon in March:

  Worm Moon, Lenz Moon, Crow Moon, Sugar Moon, Lenten Moon, Syrup Moon

• Full moon in April:

  Easter moon, pink moon, pink moon, pink moon, grass moon, fish moon

• Full moon in May:

  flower moon, flower moon, bliss moon, planting moon, rabbit moon, corn planting moon, milk moon

• Full Moon in June:

  Strawberry Moon, Honey Moon, Rose Moon

• Full moon in July:

  Hay moon, Thunder moon, Bear moon, Sun moon, Buck moon

• August Full Moon:

  Harvest Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Grain Moon, Barley Moon, Fruit Moon, Corn Moon

• September Full Moon:

  Autumn Moon, Corn Moon, Hunt Moon, Barley Moon, Angel Moon, Wood Moon, Harvest Moon

• Full Moon in October:

  Harvest Moon, Wine Moon, Hunter's Moon, Travel Moon

• Full Moon in November:

  Fog Moon, Beaver Moon, Snow Moon, Wind Moon, Frost Moon

• Full moon in December:

  Julmoon, cold moon

Many people find that the full moon affects their sleep.

However, no clear connection could be proven so far.

Nevertheless, the assumption is widespread that people sleep less well when the moon is full.

A 2013 study is the first to suggest that the full moon may actually have an impact on sleep.

This article was created with the help of machines and carefully checked by the editor Tanja Banner before publication.

List of rubrics: © Thomas Lindemann/dpa