August’s full moon will be super – literally.
Starting Aug. 19, we will be treated to a super blue moon. It will reach peak fullness Monday at 1:26 p.m. but will appear noticeably larger and brighter tonight through early Wednesday morning, according to NASA.
The combination of a blue moon and supermoon is rare. According to NASA, supermoons occur within a day or so of perigee – the point when the moon is closest to the Earth -so about three of four times a year. About 25% of full moons are supermoons but only 3% of full moons are blue moons. The time between super blue moons is quite irregular ― it can be as much as 20 years ― but in general, 10 years is the average. The next super blue moons will occur in a pair, in January and March 2037 according to NASA.
Will the moon be blue?
Despite its colorful name, the moon won’t appear blue. Instead, that’s the name given to a third full moon in a season with full four moons, as is the case of tonight’s event. It is also used to refer to the second full moon of a month that has two full moons. The second full moon of August is also called a Sturgeon Moon; the Red, Corn, Green Corn, Barley, Herb, Grain, or Dog Moon; Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi Purnima; and Tu B’Av.
What’s a supermoon?
Coined by astrologer Richard Noelle in 1979, “supermoon” refers to either a new or full moon that occurs when it is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth. Supermoons appear about 14% bigger than when it’s farthest from the Earth, similar to the size comparison between a quarter and a nickel, NASA said. And, because it’s closer in its orbit, the moon appears brighter.
This will be the first of four consecutive supermoons this year with the full moons of September and October virtually tied for the closest of the year, NASA explained.
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