The August full moon, which occurs on Monday, August 19, has several names, including Supermoon, Blue Moon, and Sturgeon Moon, so what do they all mean?
The “Super” part refers to the moon’s orbit, which brings it a little closer to Earth this month, making it larger and brighter. The “Blue” part means this is the third of four full moons this season, an unusual occurrence. “Sturgeon” refers to the Native American name for August’s full moon.
How rare is the combination of a super moon and a blue moon? According to NASA, a blue moon occurs on average every two to three years, but a blue moon that is also a super moon is even rarer. There can be as much as 20 years between super blue moons – but generally the average is 10 years.
The next super blue moon will be in January 2037.
When is the full moon in August 2024?
The moon will reach fullness on Monday, August 19, 2024, at 2:26 p.m. EDT. Here in the U.S., it will be below the horizon at that time. However, the moon will look sufficiently full when it rises in the eastern sky on Monday evening.
According to NASA, the moon will actually appear full for three days, from Sunday morning to early Wednesday morning.
What is a supermoon?
When the moon’s orbit brings it closer to Earth than usual, this cosmic combination is called a supermoon. A supermoon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth and the moon is full at the same time. The term was coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle.
“Different publications use slightly different thresholds to decide when a full moon is close enough to Earth to be considered a supermoon,” NASA said. “Because the moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle, the moon is closer to Earth at times during its orbit than at other times.”
What is a blue moon?
There are two types of blue moons: seasonal and monthly. This one is of the seasonal variety. That means that if there are four full moons in a season (in this case, summer), the third of the four is considered a blue moon.
The second definition – which arose from a misunderstanding of the original definition – is the monthly blue moon, which refers to the second full moon in a single calendar month.
However, Monday’s full moon is unlikely to appear blue: Blue-colored moons in photos are usually created using special blue camera filters or photo editing apps.
The first recorded use of the term “Blue Moon” in English dates back to 1528.
What about the Sturgeon Moon?
Naming moons was a way for Native Americans to track the seasons and plan their activities. “The full moon in August was traditionally called the Sturgeon Moon because the giant sturgeons of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most easily caught during this time of summer,” says the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Sturgeon were once abundant, but their populations have declined sharply due to overfishing and habitat loss, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: August’s full moon is a rare supermoon. Blue moon: When can you see it?
