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    Environment & Science

    WATCHING THE SKIES | Aug. 19-25 | The Sturgeon Supermoon

    LehighValleyNews.com | By Brad Klein
    Published August 19, 2024 at 6:00 AM EDT
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    LehighValleyNews.com
    Watching the skies with Brad Klein

    BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Brad Klein reviews the week’s astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy,’ Marty McGuire.

    This week, the full moon is on display the evening of Monday, August 19. The full moon of each month has one or more traditional names, and the August full moon is known as ‘the Sturgeon Moon.’

    This full moon also has the distinction of being a Supermoon. That’s a full moon that is seen at a point in its elliptical orbit that places it a bit closer to Earth.

    Full Moon
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    The full moon of August is known as the ‘Sturgeon Moon’

    “So it looks slightly larger,” according to McGuire.

    A full moon that occurs when at, or near the furthest point in its orbit, is sometimes known as a micromoon.

    The full moon seen tonight is only slightly larger in the night sky, but just knowing that you are seeing the August Sturgeon Supermoon provides a bit of extra excitement on a summer evening.

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    Christine Dempsey
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    WLVR
    WLVR’s Brad Klein and ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy’, Marty McGuire

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    Brad Klein
    I was a founding member of the WLVR News team in 2019, bringing more than 20 years of experience in radio journalism, podcast, and video production. I’ve had a role in a number of long-running programs at NPR, MSNBC and WNYC. A founding producer of NPR’s “Talk of the Nation: Science Friday,” I played similar start-up roles for NPR’s Weekly Edition, MSNBC’s Edgewise, Public Radio International’s Satellite Sisters and even as a writer on one of the early pilot episodes of the news/comedy show, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. I’ve also worked as a reporter, producer, and director for National Public Radio News programs including Weekend Edition and All Things Considered. An avid naturalist, I lead educational programs for the American Museum of Natural History and Brooklyn Botanical Garden.
    See stories by Brad Klein