ONCE a month - or every 29.5 days to be precise - a full moon can be spotted in the skies for a short period.

Each has its own name, and in August, keen stargazers may have spotted the Sturgeon Moon.

One such lucky resident was Piotr Malek, who captured the moon on Monday evening (August 23) above Basingstoke on his Nikon P1000 camera.

The stunning snaps show the moon with a red tinge, which Piotr says "happens when the full moon is closest to Earth on its orbit, and is best seen just after moon raise". The Sturgeon Moon was at its peak on Sunday, August 22.

Fans of the Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon may be disappointed to learn the special moon's name has little to do with the politician.

According to experts, the Sturgeon Moon gets its name because this is the time of year when these fish are most readily caught in the Great Lakes.

A sturgeon is a prehistoric-looking fish that are sometimes called “living fossils.” They can live up to 150 years but are very rare today.

Did you spot it? Let us know.