SALT LAKE CITY – While the full moon peaked at 12:25 p.m. on Monday – and remained hidden from North America – it promises to be spectacular when it rises as a full supermoon on Monday evening.
Full moons, like the one seen Monday and Tuesday, are considered supermoons when the moon is more than 90% of its closest approach to Earth, according to NASA. That qualifies Monday and Tuesday’s moons as full supermoons, and as the third of four full moons in a season, it also qualifies as a blue moon.
To add to the excitement surrounding the moon, it is the first of four consecutive months of supermoons, from August to November, with September and October in 2024 virtually tied for closest approaches to the moon.
NASA’s Noah Petro said the named moons attract attention, but hopes it will help encourage people to pay attention to the moon at other times as well.
“I always try to encourage people to go out and look. Dust off your telescope or your binoculars… but also look when it wanes. I really encourage people to use these named moons as an opportunity to get familiar with the moon and its surface.”
For moon watchers in Utah, that means they can start looking up at the sky at about 8:42 p.m. on Monday. That’s not particularly late, even on a school day, although the mountains push the moonrise time back. For those who have to get up early, the moon sets in Utah at 6:20 a.m. on Tuesday, making for an early morning visual treat too.
Of course, mountains and man-made structures can alter a person’s viewing experience, as the times are based on the assumption that you have an unobstructed view of the horizon. Those near mountains or structures on the eastern horizon will have to wait longer for the moon to rise.
While the moons may be slightly larger in the coming months, Petro said the difference will be barely noticeable and people can expect to enjoy a beautiful moon on Monday evening, weather permitting.
He suggested moonrise and moonset as the best times to observe. There is a moment, Petro said, when the sun, moon and earth are at their highest point, representing the largest full moon, but the difference between that moment and the observation hours later is imperceptible – to the human eye.
“The difference is so small that it probably won’t be noticed,” he said.
Although the size of the moon remains unchanged, the view is particularly spectacular at certain times.
“You are faced with the illusion that the moon is larger when it is close to the horizon,” he said.
The most spectacular observations are possible at moonrise and moonset.
Blue Supermoon in August 2023 over Fillmore, Utah. (Amber Tom)
Petro said terms like “supermoon” are not scientific but are applied to astronomical events like full moons, which is why the term “blue moon” can sometimes have more than one meaning.
The moon with its universal attraction also receives many names from around the world. Other names for this supermoon:
- A blue moon (it won’t look blue)
- Sturgeon Moon (named by the Algonquian tribes)
- Red Moon
- Corn or green corn moon
- Barley Moon
- Herbal Moon
- Grain Moon
- Dog Moon
It also corresponds to the Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi Purnima, which celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. On its website, NASA also honored science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon for the moon of the same name. He is credited with the concept of “Live Long and Prosper” in the Star Trek series and introduced the symbol of the Vulcan’s hand. NASA suggests reading Sturgeon, strengthening the bond between siblings, and doing other beautiful moonrise celebrations.
To photograph the moon, Nikonusa.com recommends setting an aperture of f/11 or f/16 and using a shutter speed of at least 1/15 second to avoid blur. It is recommended that the camera focus be set to infinity. Slightly underexposing the moon will help show more detail on its surface.
When and how can you see the rare super blue moon?
