The starry nights are one of the best things about Wyoming's clear skies. You can't get views like that in the big city. If you love stargazing or just enjoy the beauty of Wyoming's night sky, you'll want to mark your calendar for Thursday, August 11, when the final supermoon of 2022 will rise in the sky.

When to Catch The Last Supermoon of 2022

On Thursday, August 11, the Sturgeon Supermoon will grace the Wyoming horizon. Moonrise in Cheyenne will be around 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. in the mountains. The lunar show will be beautiful, especially since forecasts in Laramie and Cheyenne call for clear skies, according to the weather channel.

Space.com noted that not all stargazers would enjoy the Sturgeon Supermoon as much as others due to the moon coinciding with the Perseid Meteor Shower. Evidently, the full moon may reduce the visibility of the meteor shower.

Why Is It Called the Sturgeon Supermoon?

I'll be honest; I wasn't sure why a moon would be named after a giant fish. But, according to Almanac.com, the Sturgeon Supermoon (or just the Sturgeon Moon, when it's not a "super" event) refers to the ease of catching sturgeon fish in the Great Lakes region during August. The National Wildlife Federation says that these fish can reach six feet long and weigh 200 lbs.

Here's a video about the fish that gives this month's full moon its name:

Other names given to the August full moon include the Flying Up Moon by the Cree, the Anishinaabe call it the Ricing Moon, and the Dakota tribe refers to it as the Harvest Moon. My favorite name for the August full moon is the Mountain Shadows Moon, which comes from the Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest.

Wyoming's Top Stargazing Destinations

Escape the city to watch the stars glimmer in the skies of Wyoming's most stunning wilderness locations.

More From KGAB