The full moon in August will be the first of four supermoons in a row, plus a seasonal “blue moon”

Stargazers can look forward to some interesting treats over the next few months, starting with August’s full moon, the “Sturgeon Moon,” which will be the first of four consecutive supermoons and double as a seasonal blue moon.

The moon that officially becomes full on Monday afternoon, August 19, will not appear blue. However, it is classified as one of two different types of blue moons because it occurs relatively rarely. It is considered a “seasonal blue moon” because it is the third of four full moons that occur during the same time of year.

Summer this year began on June 20th and ends on September 22nd. During this three-month period, there are four full moons instead of the usual three. (June 21st, July 21st, August 19th and September 17th)

Another type of blue moon—a monthly blue moon—is the second of two full moons that occur in the same calendar month. However, this is not the case with the August moon.

Experts at NASA say monthly blue moons occur about every two to three years. That’s because the lunar cycle from new moon to full moon lasts 29.5 days, and most months have 30 or 31 days.

This means that a month sometimes begins with one full moon and ends with another.

Similar to monthly blue moons, seasonal blue moons occur about every two to three years, so they are rare, but not extremely rare.

When can you see the full moon in August?

The upcoming blue moon will be officially full at 2:25 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, August 19. According to MoonGiant.com, it will be 98% illuminated on Sunday night, 100% illuminated on Monday night, and 99% illuminated on Tuesday night.

According to TimeAndDate.com, the nearly full moon will rise in the east-southeast sky at about 7:36 p.m. Sunday in the New York City area and the Newark area of ​​northern New Jersey. In the Philadelphia area, the moon will rise at about 7:38 p.m. Sunday.

On Monday, the full supermoon will rise in the east-southeast sky in the New York City and Newark area around 8:07 p.m. In the Philadelphia area, the moon will rise around 8:10 p.m. on Monday.

On Tuesday, the moon will begin to rise in the eastern sky at 8:34 p.m. in the New York City and Newark metropolitan areas and at 8:38 p.m. in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

What is a supermoon?

Supermoons are moons that become full moons when they are closer to Earth than usual in their orbit. This makes them appear slightly larger and up to 30% brighter than regular full moons, especially when they rise.

Although the exact definition varies in the astronomy world — and some experts say the average stargazer won’t notice the difference in size and brightness — many say a supermoon is a moon that is less than 223,000 miles from Earth during its full phase. (Some say any full moon that is 226,000 miles or closer to Earth can be classified as a supermoon, and others set the limit at the exact distance of 223,694 miles.)

And some, like noted astronomer Fred Espenak, use a special formula to calculate the “relative distance” of the moon when it reaches its closest point in its orbit.

Sturgeon Moon Nickname

The most common nickname for the August full moon is the “Sturgeon Moon,” but some people also call it the “Green Corn Moon” or “Corn Moon,” according to the Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

The largest fish in North America is the sturgeon. At this time of year, rivers and lakes used to be abundant. Some Native American tribes therefore nicknamed the full moon in August the “sturgeon moon.”

According to timeanddate.com, the name stuck during the colonial period. Sturgeons can grow up to 1.80 m long and weigh up to 90 kg.

Some Native American tribes called the full moon in August the “green corn moon,” a reference to the beginning of the corn harvest season in some parts of the United States.