Perseid meteor shower and Blue Moon are among the astronomical events in August 2024
From a popular summer meteor shower to the seasonal blue moonrise, here are the top astronomy events for August 2024.
Planning to observe the full moon this month? Oklahoma residents are in for a special treat.
On Monday evening, there will be a rare spectacle that will probably not be repeated for years: A full moon, which can be called both a supermoon and a blue moon, will decorate the night sky over the USA
According to NASA, a “super blue moon” is a rare combination that occurs when the various cycles of blue moons and super moons happen to coincide on the calendar.
All this means the following:
When is the full moon in August 2024?
The next full moon will be on Monday, August 19, 2024, with peak illumination at 2:26 p.m.
The moon will appear full for the first time in the afternoon on August 18th and will remain full until August 20th around 2:30 p.m.
When does the blue moon rise in Oklahoma?
In Oklahoma, the moon rises in the east at about 8:30 p.m., reaches its mean position at 1 a.m., and sets at about 6:30 a.m. Central Time.
On the evening of August 19, look southeast after sunset and you will be able to see the Sturgeon Moon rising. It will look larger and brighter than the usual full moons, as it is the first supermoon of the year.
Click here to check moonrise and moonset times in your area.
What is a supermoon?
A supermoon occurs when the orbit of a full moon is closest to Earth and the moon is full at the same time. According to NASA, the full moon, at a distance of about 226,000 miles from Earth, appears brighter and larger than a normal full moon, hence the term supermoon.
What is a blue moon?
There are two types of blue moons: seasonal and monthly. Monday is seasonal.
A seasonal blue moon occurs when there are four full moons in one season (in this case, summer). In this case, 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 calendar month.
In any case, blue moons owe their reputation as rarity to a peculiarity in the typical rhythm of one full moon per month.
More: Monday’s rare super blue moon is a baffling statistical miracle
Why is the blue moon red?
A seasonal blue moon is the third full moon in a season with four full moons. In the summer of 2024, the full moons will occur on June 21, July 21, August 19, and September 18. Therefore, the full moon in August, which is the third in this sequence, is called a blue moon.
The moon will not be blue, but on rare occasions it may appear blue when viewed through tiny particles in the atmosphere, usually smoke and dust, which filter out longer wavelengths of colors like red and yellow.
However, the haze caused by the summer heat and dry conditions of August can cause this month’s Sturgeon Moon to take on a red hue. It is sometimes called the Red Moon, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon, the Harvest Moon, will occur on Tuesday, September 17, at 10:34 p.m.
When is the next super blue moon?
According to NASA, January 2037 is a safe time. However, depending on what you consider a super blue moon, you may hear about another rising before then.
Contributor: Doyle Rice, USAToday
