We’re in for a celestial treat tonight. A rare blue supermoon will light up the skies, and this particular phenomenon won’t appear again for another 13 years.
According to NASA, tonight’s blue supermoon is also known as a “Sturgeon Moon” or “Dog Moon.”
This supermoon is the first of four that will be visible across night skies in the coming months.
The moon appearing tonight passes just 361,969 kilometres from Earth, and it’s considered rare because the next time we’ll see this particular blue supermoon will be in January 2037.
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Described by experts as “unconventional,” the August supermoon will be the first full moon of the month, whereas a Blue Moon typically refers to the second full moon in a calendar month.
Technically, if we follow the pre-1937 interpretation of the term, it’s still a blue moon, marking the third full moon in a season with four total full moons.
NASA adds that “while we don’t really see new Moons, what has caught the public’s attention are full supermoons as they are the biggest and brightest full Moons of the year.”
On average, a supermoon’s disk size is about 8% bigger than an average moon and appears 15% brighter.
However, good visibility and weather will be necessary to get a good look at the supermoon in all its glory.
The next supermoons, which will be even closer to Earth, are set to occur in September, October, and November.
On September 18, it will be spaced just 357,485 kilometres from Earth. It will appear even closer on October 17, at 357,363 kilometres. A November 15 supermoon will close out 2024, with the moon to orbit 361,866 kilometres from our planet.
With files from blogTO’s Jack Landau