Full moons occur about once a month, roughly every 29.5 days, and therefore there are about 12 to 13 full moons each year. The exact dates shift slightly from year to year due to the Moon’s orbital dynamics and the mismatch between the calendar and the lunar cycle. Here are the core points:
- Typical frequency: ~1 full moon per synodic month
- Average interval: ~29.53 days
- Annual count: usually 12 or occasionally 13 full moons in a given year
- Typical timing: the full moon phase happens when the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth, which repeats in a near-monthly cycle
If you’d like, I can provide the full moon dates for a specific year (e.g., 2025 or 2026) or explain why some years contain a blue moon (two full moons in a single calendar month).
