Experience the rare seasonal rising of the blue moon
The full moon in August will not only be known as the Sturgeon Moon, but will also rise as a rare seasonal blue moon.
The next few nights are your last chance to see a blue supermoon until 2037.
Monday was the best night to see the blue supermoon, but it will also be visible in the night sky on Tuesday and Wednesday night.
Also known as a “super blue moon,” the rare combination occurs when the different cycles of blue moons and supermoons coincidentally coincide on the calendar, Noah Petro, project scientist for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, told USA Today.
Here’s what you should know about it.
What is a supermoon?
Supermoons occur when full moons coincide with the moon closest to Earth in its orbit, a moment called perigee.
When this happens, the moon appears 30% brighter and 14% larger than a typical full moon.
There is a small catch.
“Different publications use slightly different thresholds to decide when a full moon is close enough to Earth to be considered a supermoon,” NASA said. “Because the moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle, the moon is closer to Earth at times during its orbit than at other times.”
What is a “blue moon”?
First, it must be made clear that blue moons are not really blue.
There are two types of blue moons: seasonal and monthly blue moons.
A monthly blue moon is when there are two full moons in the same month. A seasonal blue moon, such as the one currently occurring, is when there are “four full moons in a single season (spring, summer, fall and winter) instead of the usual three,” NASA said.
When this happens, the third moon in the series will be called a blue moon, NASA said.
When was the last super blue moon?
The last time these events occurred simultaneously was in August 2023. But this time it will be much longer before we see one again, as NASA does not predict another event until January 2037.
Can any planets be seen during the full moon this week?
Saturn will be visible together with the Sturgeon Moon.
According to NASA, Saturn will be very close to the full moon from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning (August 20-21). Towards the end of evening twilight (at 8:57 p.m.), they will be two degrees above the eastern horizon, with Saturn one degree to the upper left.
“Wednesday morning, August 21, at 1:02 a.m., the Moon will be at perigee, making it closest to Earth in this orbit.”
What are the names of some other upcoming full moons?
- September 17: Harvest Moon
- October 17: Hunter’s Moon
- 15 November: Beaver Moon
- December 15: Cold Moon
What is the best way to observe the Sturgeon Moon?
A full moon can be clearly seen with the naked eye.
But in an earlier interview with USA Today Network, Tim Brothers, an engineering lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and director of the observatory, said that for any type of stargazing, it is much better to use a good telescope or binoculars.
Doyle Rice of USA Today contributed to this report.
