Photography fans and stargazers can look forward to a show this week.
A “blue” supermoon will light up the sky.
Let’s break down what this means and what you can expect.
When is the best time to see the supermoon?
Technically, according to NASA, it will happen on Tuesday, August 20th at 4:26 a.m. EST.
But luckily for those who are not early risers, the moon will be at its largest on Monday evening towards the evening.
This is because an optical illusion occurs when the moon is low on the horizon and therefore appears larger.
And while Monday night is the best time to view the Sturgeon Supermoon, it will look impressive on Tuesday night as well.
What is a supermoon?
The moon isn’t actually getting bigger – it just looks like it is.
According to NASA, the term refers to the time when the moon (either in its full or new moon phase) is synchronized with a close orbit around the Earth.
That is, when it is actually within 90 percent of its closest approach to Earth.
However, since we cannot see new moons so easily, the term usually refers to the time when the moon is full.
Because the Moon’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle, it is sometimes closer to the Earth.
Then it appears to us to be the greatest on earth.
Why is it called the Sturgeon Supermoon?
All full moons throughout the year have names that date back to an American reference work called the Old Farmer’s Almanac, first published in 1792.
The book, which is published every September, contains, among other things, weather forecasts, moon phases and gardening tips.
Each full moon was named based on the milestones of the season.
Here is the name for the moon of each month:
- January: Wolf Moon
- February: Snow Moon
- March: Wormmoon
- April: Pink Moon
- May: Flower Moon
- June: Strawberry Moon
- July: Buck Moon
- August: Sturgeon Moon
- September: Harvest Moon
- October: Hunter’s Moon
- November: Beaver Moon
- December: Cold Moon
You may have noticed that some of these names – like Snow Moon and Cold Moon – don’t quite fit our calendar year.
This is because the moon names are based on the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere.
Will it look blue?
NO.
Although the name suggests it, the term “Blue Moon” actually describes the case where there are several full moons in a certain period of time.
There are two types of blue moons.
A seasonal blue moon is the third full moon in a season in which there are four full moons.
A monthly blue moon occurs when there is a second full moon within the same calendar month.
This one deserves its “blue” status because it is the third full moon in a season of four.
How rare are blue moons?
Thanks to the saying “once in a blue moon,” you might think that blue moons are quite rare.
However, according to NASA, there is a blue moon every two and a half years.
However, on rare occasions, blue moons do occur – it is not often that we see two blue moons in the same year.
This only happens about four times per century, most recently in 2018.
How rare are supermoons?
We usually get three or four supermoons a year.
And because they always happen in quick succession, we’ll be seeing about that many in a row in the coming months.
When is the next supermoon?
This will be the first supermoon of the year.
According to the BBC programme “Sky at Night”, the next ones will take place on:
- 18 September
- 17 October
- November 15 (New Moon)
