The Sturgeon Full Moon in August is a blue moon and the first of four supermoons in a row

SAN ANTONIO – The full moon in August will be a supermoon and a blue moon.

The moon will be full for three days, Sunday morning through Wednesday, reaching its peak in San Antonio at 1:26 p.m. on Monday. Of course, you’ll have to wait until after sunset to see it.

The full moon in August is known as the “Sturgeon Moon” because fish were once plentiful in the Great Lakes region in August. It is also called the Green Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Dog Moon, and Fruit Moon.

This month’s full moon is the first of four supermoons in a row. Every full moon is a supermoon until November.

During a supermoon, the moon appears slightly larger than normal because it is at or near perigee—the point in its orbit where it is closest to Earth. The moon appears about 14% larger and 30% brighter than the moon at apogee (farthest from Earth).

The full moon in August is also a blue moon.

According to NASA, there are two types of blue moons, and neither of them has anything to do with the actual color of the moon. A seasonal blue moon refers to the third full moon in a season with four full moons. A monthly blue moon is the second full moon within a calendar month. This month’s full moon falls into the first category.

Other astronomical events

The full moon is not the only astronomical event worth watching this month.

On Wednesday, Mars and Jupiter will appear as close to each other as they will be until 2033.

And the Perseids are back. Skywatchers can observe more than 50 meteors per hour until September 1st.