Sturgeon Moon Shines Over Dorset

Photographers in Dorset captured the final full moon of summer 2025, the Sturgeon Moon, on August 9.

Sturgeon Moon Captured in Dorset

The Sturgeon Moon is the traditional name for August’s final full moon, and this year it was photographed from Dorset on the evening of August 9. The name comes from historical patterns of sturgeon fishing and marks a moment in the calendar when late-summer skies attract watchers with steady, bright light.

The Sky at Night Magazine notes an optical effect called the Moon Illusion, where the Moon appears larger near the horizon due to foreground objects such as buildings and trees. In the same period, observers can also catch the Perseids meteor shower, which peaks around August 12 and 13, offering a second celestial highlight for night-sky enthusiasts.

These sky events remind us that nature offers consistent, shareable moments that connect communities to science. Local photos can turn a quiet evening into a public conversation about light, weather, and observation technique. At the same time, the rising visibility of such moments online raises questions about how much attention a single sky spectacle deserves in a crowded news cycle. The Dorset photographs show how citizen observers broaden access to astronomy without replacing professional expertise.

Highlights

The night sky keeps inviting us to look up and learn more about our place in the cosmos.