This month has two New Moons, on August 2 and August 31; after each, the Moon gradually begins to wax again.
Daily portraits show the Moon at local noon, with north at the top. Main phase times mark the exact moment.
Select a Moon to see it up close. NASA SVS · Moon Lab / NASA LRO
When to look
Look on the night of August 16 into August 17: the Moon rises at 7:35 PM EDT and sets at 6:21 AM EDT. The exact Full Moon comes before sunrise on August 17, at 3:30 AM EDT. You don’t need to catch that minute: the Moon looks full all night.
August 16 → August 17 · New York
Follow the curve to see how high the Moon will be and which way to look. Choose a time on the chart or use the slider.
Height above the horizon
Look toward the southeast. The Moon is climbing higher in the sky.
Moonrise: August 16, 7:35 PM EDT. Moonset: August 17, 6:21 AM EDT.
Sunset 7:53 PM EDT · Sunrise 6:08 AM EDT · Near the horizon, the Moon can look warmer in color.
Around August 9, the Moon appears half-lit. It then grows brighter on its way to Full Moon on August 17.
Around August 24, the Moon appears half-lit. Its illuminated part then diminishes toward New Moon on August 31.
| City | Phase local time | Moonrise | Moonset | Timezone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, US | August 2, 2027, at 6:06 AM EDT | 5:58 AM EDT | 8:25 PM EDT | America/New_York |
| Los Angeles, US | August 2, 2027, at 3:06 AM PDT | 6:19 AM PDT | 8:16 PM PDT | America/Los_Angeles |
| London, GB | August 2, 2027, at 11:06 AM BST | 5:09 AM BST | 8:50 PM BST | Europe/London |
| Toronto, CA | August 2, 2027, at 6:06 AM EDT | 6:13 AM EDT | 8:53 PM EDT | America/Toronto |
| Sydney, AU | August 2, 2027, at 8:06 PM AEST | 6:28 AM AEST | 5:01 PM AEST | Australia/Sydney |
| City | Phase local time | Moonrise | Moonset | Timezone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, US | August 17, 2027, at 3:30 AM EDT | 7:57 PM EDT | 6:21 AM EDT | America/New_York |
| Los Angeles, US | August 17, 2027, at 12:30 AM PDT | 7:50 PM PDT | 6:34 AM PDT | America/Los_Angeles |
| London, GB | August 17, 2027, at 8:30 AM BST | 8:14 PM BST | 5:50 AM BST | Europe/London |
| Toronto, CA | August 17, 2027, at 3:30 AM EDT | 8:22 PM EDT | 6:38 AM EDT | America/Toronto |
| Sydney, AU | August 17, 2027, at 5:30 PM AEST | 5:24 PM AEST | 6:18 AM AEST | Australia/Sydney |
| City | Phase local time | Moonrise | Moonset | Timezone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, US | August 31, 2027, at 1:42 PM EDT | 6:08 AM EDT | 7:20 PM EDT | America/New_York |
| Los Angeles, US | August 31, 2027, at 10:42 AM PDT | 6:20 AM PDT | 7:17 PM PDT | America/Los_Angeles |
| London, GB | August 31, 2027, at 6:42 PM BST | 5:39 AM BST | 7:28 PM BST | Europe/London |
| Toronto, CA | August 31, 2027, at 1:42 PM EDT | 6:27 AM EDT | 7:44 PM EDT | America/Toronto |
| Sydney, AU | September 1, 2027, at 3:42 AM AEST | 6:12 AM AEST | 6:15 PM AEST | Australia/Sydney |
No. The phase has an exact time, but the Moon’s shape changes gradually. Near a quarter, it looks half-lit for about a day on either side, and a crescent grows or shrinks only a little from one night to the next.
The Full Moon of August 17 is traditionally called the Sturgeon Moon. These names come from North American tradition and follow Northern Hemisphere seasons, so in the Southern Hemisphere they don’t match the season.
