Here's how each full moon received its name

2023 was home to 13 full moons, a function of a roughly 29.5-day lunar cycle fitting into the 365 days it takes for the Earth to rotate around the Sun. That brought the blue moon Aug. 30, the second full moon of a month.

Four of the full moons were supermoons: July 3, Aug. 1, Aug. 30 and Sept. 29. During a supermoon, the moon is at its closest distance to the earth.

When: 7:33 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time

December is when the winter cold fastens its grip on the Northern Hemisphere. Sometimes this moon is referred to as the Long Nights Moon, and the nights are their longest. The moon is above the horizon a long time. On occasion, this moon was also called the Moon before Yule. 

When: 6:08 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time

Amid the zero-degree cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside villages. It was also known as the Old Moon or the Moon after Yule. In some tribes this was the Full Snow Moon; most applied that name to the next moon.

When: 1:29 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time

Depending on location, the heaviest snows fall in this month. Much of the Mid-Atlantic falls into this category, as well as the Mid-South.

When: 7:40 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time

In this month the ground softens and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of the robins. Some more northern tribes knew this as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signals the end of winter.

When: 12:34 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time

The grass pink or wild ground phlox is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring.

When: 1:34 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time

The term full flower moon is derived from how Flowers are abundant everywhere by this time of year. This moon was also known as the Full Corn Planting Moon.

When: 11:42 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time

Strawberry picking season peaks during this month; Europeans called this the Rose Moon.

When: 7:39 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time

Named for when the new antlers of buck deer push out from their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, thunderstorms being now most frequent.

When: 2:31 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time

This moon honors when this large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, like Lake Champlain, where they are most readily caught.

When: 9:35 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time

The saying "once in a blue moon" means a rare occurrence in folklore. However, it predates the current use of the term, which indicates two full moons within a month.

When: 5:57 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time

Traditionally, this name goes to the full moon that occurs closest to the fall equinox, which falls this year on Sept. 22. This year's Harvest Moon comes unusually early. 

When: 4:24 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time

With the leaves falling and the deer fattened, this is the time to hunt. Since the fields have been reaped, hunters can ride over the stubble, and can more easily see the fox and other animals.    

When: 4:16 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time

At this point of the year, it was time to set beaver traps before the swamps freeze to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now active in their preparation for winter.