Witness a rare celestial event today as the Moon appears in the night sky on August 30-31. The Full Moon on these days is going to be a rare combination of two different phenomena, a Blue Moon and a supermoon.
This will be the second supermoon to be seen in August 2023.
What is a Blue Moon?
A Blue Moon is usually classified as the second full moon which occurs in a single calendar month, according to NASA. Generally, each month has a single full moon but on those uncommon occasions, a second one sneaks in. Usually, the full moons occur after a period of 29 days. Since most of the months have 30 or 31 days, it is possible for a month to have two full moons. Such an occurrence takes place every two and a half years on average, NASA says.
What is a supermoon?
As the Moon goes around the Earth, each month it passes through a point closest to the Earth, called perigee, and the point farthest from it, called apogee. When the Moon is at or close to the perigee while it is full, it is called a ‘supermoon’. During this event, the Moon appears especially large and bright in the sky.
How rare are Super Blue Moons?
While Blue Moons and supermoons are not that uncommon, a Super Blue Moon occurs about every 10 years on average. However, NASA says the time between any two occurrences can vary from two months to two decades or more.
After this Super Blue Moon, the next one will occur in a pair, in January and March 2037.
When can we see the Super Blue Moon?
The Super Blue Moon will be rising in the sky at 7:10 pm EDT (4:40 am IST on Aug 31), Space.com reported citing In the Sky. “For this year’s Blue Moon, the moon will be opposite the sun at 9:36 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 30 (7:06 am IST on August 31), according to NASA. At this time, it will be in the constellation of Aquarius. The Blue Moon will then set on Thursday just before the sun rises at around 6:46 a.m. EDT (4:16 pm IST on August 31),” Space.com said.
