August will culminate with two massive, spectacular lunar eclipses as the moon approaches its closest point to Earth. A supermoon occurs when the moon appears full and is at this point in its orbit; this month, there will be two of them.
According to calculations from retired NASA astronomer Fred Espenak, the first of the supermoons will peak at 2:32 p.m. ET on Tuesday, meaning lunar watchers in Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, and the Middle East can see the orb glowing at its fullest in the night sky at a distance of about 222,158 miles (357,530 kilometres) from Earth. You may be sure that on August 1st evening, the moon will seem full for watchers in the United States. Due to their proximity, supermoons typically appear brighter and larger than regular full moons, however this difference isn’t always visible to the unaided eye.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanack, this week’s full moon is also known as the “sturgeon moon” since it happens around the time of year when indigenous populations discovered in the past that the giant freshwater fish were simple to catch in the Great Lakes. Looking towards the southeast after sunset on Tuesday is the best time to see the sturgeon supermoon from the United States.
A full moon will then appear on August 30 at a distance of roughly 222,043 miles (357,344 km), making it an elusive super blue moon. This will be the closest full moon to our planet this year.
Typically occurring only once every two and a half years, a blue moon is a second full moon that occurs inside the same calendar month. For instance, the most recent blue moon took place in October 2020.
The almanack predicts that the super blue moon on August 30 will peak at 9:36 p.m. ET. If local weather permits, the celestial orb will also be visible on August 31st.
However, despite its name, it won’t actually appear blue. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, the phrase “blue moon” actually derives from a 16th-century idiom that meant something happened once in a blue moon.
What exactly are a supermoon, blue moon, and full moon?
A full moon occurs once a month when the near side of the moon is completely illuminated by the sun in the night sky.
Supermoons are less frequent.
The moon does not orbit Earth in a complete circle, which causes several lunar displays. Instead, the moon travels on an elliptical course that resembles an oval, bringing it closer to the Earth at specific times. According to NASA, the precise distance between Earth and the moon can vary by up to 26,222 miles (42,200 km).
Supermoons happen when the moon is full and near or at its perigee, or closest point to Earth (in scientific jargon).
According to the National Space Centre of the United Kingdom, this is what astronomers refer to as a “perigean full moon,” which can look up to 30% brighter and 14% larger than full moons that occur at the furthest point from Earth.
Some claim that the term “supermoon” is overused because it can be used to describe full moons that don’t come at the closest point to Earth and don’t always stand out dramatically from regular full moons to the human eye.
Supermoon isn’t an official astronomical term, but according to NASA, it “is used to describe a full Moon that comes within at least 90% of perigee.” These lunar occurrences are also frequent: Three or four supermoons normally occur each year.
According to researcher Adam Block, an operations expert at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory in Tucson, the moon often appears greatest in the sky when it is close to the horizon, producing an optical illusion. And whether the moon is in supermoon territory has nothing to do with this phenomena.
The illusion vanishes entirely if you spin around in the opposite direction and are flexible enough to bend over and stare between your legs at the moon upside down, according to Block.
Although they are not extremely uncommon or physically distinctive, supermoons do have an influence on Earth. According to NASA, the Earth’s oceans may see higher tides as a result of the moon’s proximity.
However, blue moons are less frequent. The phrase today usually refers to two full moons occurring in the same calendar month, however it originally referred to an additional full moon occurring during the same tropical year, or the time between two equinoxes.
The August 30 full moon is particularly unique because not all blue moons are supermoons. According to Espenak’s research, the next time two supermoons coincide in the same month will be in January 2037.
Sometimes, several lunar events coincide on the same night to produce a really unique sky-watching experience, as was the case on January 31, 2018, when the final full moon of the month was also a blood moon, or total lunar eclipse, in addition to being a blue moon and a supermoon. When the full moon acquires a reddish hue from Earth’s shadow, those occurrences take place.