Full Moon Names 1987: 12 Full Moons

Each full moon has a nickname. Here is a list of the Full Moon Names for 1987 based on the traditional Native American names.

A full moon is a lunar phase that occurs when the Earth is directly between the Sun and Moon so that the moon looks completely illuminated when you look at it. It happens about once a month or, 29.53 days on average in the middle of the lunar cycle.

In 1987 the full moon names were as follows:

  • January 1987: Full Wolf Moon
  • February 1987: Full Snow Moon
  • March 1987: Full Worm Moon
  • April 1987: Full Pink Moon
  • May 1987: Full Flower Moon
  • June 1987: Full Strawberry Moon
  • July 1987: Full Buck Moon
  • August 1987: Full Sturgeon Moon
  • September 1987: Full Corn Moon
  • October 1987: Full Harvest Moon
  • November 1987: Full Beaver Moon
  • December 1987: Full Cold Moon

Continue reading below for more information about the 1987 Full Moon Names, their meanings, and dates.

Watercolor image of the moon to list the Full Moon Names 1987

The dates and times provided by NASA in United States Eastern Time (ET) account for both Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) for part of the year. Also included is the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time. This was previously referred to as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Since your local time zone may differ, the exact dates may shift slightly for your calendar.

The supermoons are based on the calculations by AstroPixels.

Full Moon Names 1987

In 1987 there were 12 full moons, each with a nickname or two. Here is a list of the 1987 full moons and their traditional names.

January 14, 1987: Full Wolf Moon

The January 1987 full moon name, the Full Wolf Moon, is one of many inspired by nature. The Full Wolf Moon, takes its name from the wolves howling at the moon. There are also a few other names that are also used for the January Full Moon including: the Old Moon, Ice Moon, Moon After Yule, and Full Snow Moon.

February 13, 1987: Full Snow Moon

The February 1987 full moon name, the Full Snow Moon, refers to the snow that frequently occurs at that time of year. It’s a fitting name for a moon that’s part of the Winter season. It is the next full moon of the year following January. Other nicknames for the February full moon include the Hunger Moon, Chaste Moon, and Storm Moon.

You may notice that an alternate nickname for the January Full Moon is also the Full Snow Moon. Sometimes the names overlap depending on the source.

March 15, 1987: Full Worm Moon

The March 1987 full moon name, the Full Worm moon, takes its name from the earthworms that start to reappear as the grown thaws at the end of the winter. The birds start to come back as spring approaches, with the Spring Equinox that happens each year towards the end of March.

Other nicknames for the March Full Moon include: Sap Moon, Crow Moon, Chaste Moon, Sugar Moon, and Lenten Moon.

Depending on the year, the Full Worm Moon could occur either at the end of Winter or the beginning of Spring. In 1987 it was part of the Winter season.

April 13, 1987 (April 14, 1987 UTC): Full Pink Moon

The April 1987 full moon name, the Full Pink Moon, comes from a pink herb moss that flowers at that time of year.

Other nicknames for April’s full moon include: the Seed Moon, Egg Moon, Full Sprouting Grass Moon, and Full Fish Moon. They all have a common tie to the spring season as new flowers start to bloom and the fish begin to spawn.

Depending on the year, the Full Pink Moon could occur either be the first or second full moon of Spring. In 1987 it was part of the Spring season as the first Spring Full Moon.

May 13, 1987: Full Flower Moon

The May 1987 Full Moon name, the Full Flower Moon, probably isn’t a surprise: “April Showers bring May Flowers” as the saying goes. Welcome to spring and the flowers that come with the season.

While the April full moon name doesn’t reference rain, the May full moon matches the time-honored saying.

Other nickname for the May Full Moon include the Corn Planting Moon, and Milk Moon.

June 11, 1987: Full Strawberry Moon

The June 1987 Full Moon name, the Full Strawberry Moon, is probably one you could have guessed if you like to pick strawberries in June. The Full Strawberry Moon fits nicely as summer approaches, and it’s time to enjoy this fruit.

Depending on the year, the Full Strawberry Moon could occur either at the end of Spring or the beginning of Summer, depending on if it happens before or after the Summer Solstice. In 1987 it was the last full moon of the Spring season.

Other nicknames for the June Full Moon include: Rose Moon, Mead Moon, and Honey Moon.

July 10, 1987 (July 11, 1987 UTC): Full Buck Moon

The July 1987 Full Moon name, the Full Buck Moon, is not likely one you would have immediately guessed. The Full Buck Moon takes its name from the time of year when antlers start to appear on male deer (bucks).

For 1987, it was the first full moon of the Summer season.

Other nicknames for July’s Full Moon include the Thunder Moon and Hay Moon.

August 9, 1987: Full Sturgeon Moon

The August 1987 Full Moon name, the Full Sturgeon Moon, might not have been your first guess. The Full Sturgeon Moon gets its name as sturgeon are caught in high numbers in North America’s Great Lakes at that time of year.

Other nicknames for the August Full Moon include the Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon, and Corn Moon.

September 7, 1987: Full Corn Moon

The September 1987 Full Moon, the Full Corn Moon, name takes its inspiration from agriculture. The Full Corn Moon is nicknamed for when corn is usually harvested.

Depending on how close the September Full Moon is to the Autumn Equinox, the nickname for the full moon changes. In 1987 it was further away from the start of Fall than the October Full moon. In other years, the September Full Moon is called the Full Harvest Moon.

October 7, 1987: Full Harvest Moon

The October 1987 Full Moon name, the Full Harvest Moon, is both inspired by nature and agriculture as well as the timing of the Fall Equinox. In 1987, the October full moon was called the Full Harvest Moon because it was closer to the start of Autumn than September’s.

In other years, October’s Full Moon name is the Full Hunter’s Moon.

Another nickname for October’s full moon includes the Blood Moon.

November 5, 1987: Full Beaver Moon

The November 1987 Full Moon name, the Full Beaver Moon, was probably not your first guess. Inspired by nature, this nickname comes from the time when Native Americans and early settlers would set traps to catch beavers to have warm furs for the winter.

Another nickname for the November full moon is the Frosty Moon.

December 5, 1987: Full Cold Moon

The December 1987 Full Moon name, the Full Cold Moon, fits the month well given how the temperatures get colder with the official start of Winter.

Depending on the year, the Full Cold Moon can occur either at the end of the Autumn or just after the start of Winter, depending the timing with the Winter Solstice. In 1987, the Full Cold Moon was part of the Autumn season.

Other nicknames for the December full moon include the Long Nights Moon and Oak Moon.

The 12 Full Moon Names from 1987

In 1987 there were 12 full moons, each with its own traditional name. There are also multiple names for each moon, depending on which list you refer to. The Native American names take their inspiration from nature.

The Full Moon Names for 1987 were:

  • January: Full Wolf Moon
  • February: Full Snow Moon
  • March: Full Worm Moon
  • April: Full Pink Moon
  • May: Full Flower Moon
  • June: Full Strawberry Moon
  • July: Full Buck Moon
  • August: Full Sturgeon Moon
  • September: Full Corn Moon
  • October: Full Harvest Moon
  • November: Full Beaver Moon
  • December: Full Cold Moon

It was an interesting year because the Harvest Moon occurred in October. The Full Corn Moon name was given to September’s Full Moon. More years than not, the Full Corn Moon name isn’t used.

There was a penumbral lunar eclipse during the April and October full moons, but not a Total Lunar eclipse during the year.

Additional 1987 Moon Posts

No posts