Glimpse August’s rare super blue moon peaking today | CNN (2024)

Glimpse August’s rare super blue moon peaking today | CNN (1)

A rare super blue moon appears in the night sky over Sydney on August 19.

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August continues to be an exciting month for sky-gazers. Closely following the peak of the Perseid meteor shower last week, the first of the year’s four consecutive supermoons is set to rise on August 19. The rare cosmic combination of a supermoon and blue moon peaks at 2:26 p.m. ET Monday.

The last time this lunar event occurred was August 2023, and the next super blue moons are projected for January and March of 2037. Approximately one-quarter of all full moons are supermoons, while a mere 3% of full moons are blue moons.

So-called supermoons appear as the biggest and brightest lunar events of the year. The moon’s orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle but an elliptical path. Scientists refer to the moon’s nearest point to Earth — an average distance of about 226,000 miles (363,300 kilometers) — along its 27-day journey as the satellite’s perigee, according to NASA.

There are varied definitions for supermoons, said Noah Petro, lab chief of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry lab. However, a full moon within 90% of perigee is often described as a supermoon, he said.

When the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, it can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than when it’s at its farthest point from the planet, known as apogee, about 251,000 miles (405,500 kilometers) from Earth.

While this perceived size increase might be subtle, NASA describes a supermoon as noticeably brighter than other full moons throughout the year. It may be challenging to see the difference, but a supermoon significantly impacts Earth, leading to higher-than-normal tides due to its proximity.

Glimpse August’s rare super blue moon peaking today | CNN (2)

People in Stockholm, Sweden, watch the super blue moon rise behind Nacka on Monday, August 19.

Glimpse August’s rare super blue moon peaking today | CNN (3)

An aircraft flies in front of the super blue moon over Copenhagen, Denmark, on Monday.

Glimpse August’s rare super blue moon peaking today | CNN (4)

The super moon rises near Rome's Colosseum on Monday.

Glimpse August’s rare super blue moon peaking today | CNN (5)

The super moon rises in Arcos de la Frontera, Spain.

Glimpse August’s rare super blue moon peaking today | CNN (6)

The super blue moon is seen behind the Martyrs' Monument in Beirut, Lebanon.

Glimpse August’s rare super blue moon peaking today | CNN (7)

A ladybug walks on an ear of wheat as the super blue moon rises in Montargis, France.

Glimpse August’s rare super blue moon peaking today | CNN (8)

People watch the super blue moon in Paris.

In pictures: The rare super blue moon

Supermoon visibility

Supermoons are observable to the naked eye and do not require a particular location for viewing. Throughout the night, the moon will rise higher until just before sunrise.

Shannon Schmoll, director of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, said if the sky is free of clouds and you have a clear view, you will be able to see the moon.

“It’s bright enough that you don’t need to go anywhere special,” and visible right after the sun sets, she said.

Petro said the joy of these full moons is that if cloud coverage obscures visibility, you can look any night before or after the full moon peaks.

“So there’s really three days where the full moon is going to be most beautiful,” he said.

“The thing about these super moons is because they’re so much closer, they’re also brighter.” He noted that if it’s a clear night, you may notice the shift in brightness outside. “You’ll be treated to this beautiful sight in the sky, which is our moon hovering off in the distance.”

Because supermoons are 30% brighter than average full moons, they are more easily detectable.

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“It’s going to be a little bit brighter, and it’s always a good excuse to go outside and appreciate the universe, and our place in it, and what we can see from the Earth,” Schmoll said.

What are blue moons and sturgeon moons?

Despite the name dating from 1528, the moon will not appear blue in color, NASA’s Gordon Johnston wrote.

“Only when there’s a lunar eclipse does the moon appear to change color,” Petro said.

As with supermoons, there are varying definitions for blue moons — monthly and seasonal.

Schmoll explained that “on average, we have one full moon, per month, but because most of our months are slightly longer than a lunar cycle, that means if we end up with a moon right at the beginning of a month, we might have another full moon again at the very end of the month. So sometimes that’s called a blue moon.”

Glimpse August’s rare super blue moon peaking today | CNN (10)

People view the moon as it rises, with a red glow attributable to smoke particles in the upper atmosphere from North American wildfires, a day ahead of the super blue moon, at Parliament Hill in London, August 18.

A seasonal blue moon is often defined as the third full moon of an astronomical season with four full moons.

“If you take a season, a season is about three months long. So in that time, you would normally have three full moons in a single season, and if you end up with four in a season, the third one of the four would be the blue moon, and that’s what this blue moon is,” Schmoll said.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port. This long-duration photograph was taken at night from the orbital complex as it soared 258 miles above western China. NASA Related article NASA’s decision on Boeing Starliner astronauts more than a week away

In the 1930s, the Maine Farmer’s Almanac started applying names corresponding to events in nature for the full moons, Petro said. These names have since become widely used and recognized. “Sturgeon moon originates from indigenous observations within the environment,” he said.

Maine Farmer’s Almanac states that the Algonquin tribes, who once lived in what is now the northeastern region of the United States, referred to the full moon in August as the sturgeon moon, named after the large fish caught more readily during this season.

Upcoming celestial events

Keep an eye out for Jupiter and Mars while peering at the moon, Schmoll said.

Last week, the two planets were aligned in conjunction, reaching their closest proximity to each other from Earth’s viewpoint since 2018. Jupiter and Mars will likely remain fairly close to one another in the sky during the supermoon’s peak, Schmoll said.

A red giant star and white dwarf orbit each other in this animation of a nova. NASA/Conceptual Image Lab/Goddard Space Flight Center Related article ‘Once-in-a-lifetime’ explosion will bring a new star to the night sky

And in the next month or so, anticipate a brightening event, known as a nova, that will occur in the Milky Way’s Corona Borealis, or Northern Crown constellation. Astronomers expect T Coronae Borealis, nicknamed Blaze Star, to explosively burst as a binary system of a dead white dwarf star and an aging red giant star violently collapse.

“There’ll be what looks like a new star in the constellation for a few days to a week before it fades from view. And this is something that happens every 80 years or so,” Schmoll said. “That’s something that we don’t know exactly when it’s going to happen, but we are expecting it to happen.” Schmoll said.

Remaining supermoons of the year

The remaining supermoons of 2024 will occur on September 18, October 17 and November 15.

The September supermoon will also be a partial lunar eclipse, meaning Earth will cast its shadow over part of the moon, Petro said. “It’s a partial one, so it’s not going to be as obvious to a viewer,” he said.

The fullest, largest moon of the year will rise in October. “The moon will actually be about 100 kilometers (62 miles) closer to the Earth on October 17,” Petro said.

Glimpse August’s rare super blue moon peaking today | CNN (2024)

FAQs

How rare is a blue super moon? ›

Supermoons happen three to four times a year, while seasonal blue moons happen every 2.5 or so years. The two happening together, on the other hand, occurs less frequently. The last blue supermoon occurred in Aug. 2023, so we've had one two years in a row. We won't have another one in 2025 or even 2026.

What time is the rare blue moon? ›

The full moon had been expected to reach its peak on Monday, Aug. 19, at 2:26 p.m. EDT, and it will appear full for three days, NASA said. The Old Farmer's Almanac details specific moonrise times for different ZIP codes across the U.S.

What time is Blue supermoon? ›

Super moon known as 'Blue Moon' rises over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, United States on August 30, 2023. The next full moon will officially be 100% illuminated at 2:26 p.m. EDT (1826 GMT) on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

What is the super moon and blue moon? ›

The term “supermoon” is used to describe a full Moon that occurs within a day or so of perigee, so they happen three to four times a year. About 25 percent of all full moons are supermoons, but only 6 percent of full moons are blue moons (seasonal and monthly).

Why is a super blue moon so special? ›

Rather, a blue moon is special because it is the "extra" Moon in a season with four full moons. This usually only happens every two-and-a-half years. Since the 1940s, the term "blue moon" has also been used for the second full moon in a calendar month.

What is special about tonight's blue moon? ›

The rare third of four full moons that will occur this season is known as a blue moon. It will also be an extra bright supermoon, as it's slightly closer to the Earth because of its elliptical orbit.

Why is August 2024 a blue moon? ›

August's full moon was a seasonal Blue Moon meaning it's the third full moon in a season that has four full moons. The term supermoon refers to a full moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth during its orbit, according to NASA.

How long does a blue moon last? ›

However, the moon can appear nearly full, with over 98% of its disc illuminated, for about a day before and after the exact full moon. To the casual observer, the moon looks full for about three days: the day before, the day of, and the day after.

Why are blue moons so rare? ›

In one usage of the phrase, a blue moon refers to the second full moon in a calendar month. These uncommon moons occur because the length of our months doesn't exactly align with the roughly 29.5-day lunar cycle. The most recent “monthly blue moon” was last year in August. The next one will happen in late May 2026.

Is the blue moon out tonight? ›

The next Blue Moon will occur on Aug.19, 2024, at 2:26 p.m. ET (1826 GMT).

Why is it a super moon tonight? ›

Supermoons occur when a full moon rises during its closest point in its orbit to Earth.

What does the blue moon symbolize? ›

The addition of a Blue Moon makes this event even rarer. According to astrologer Pandit Jagannath Guruji, the Moon is linked to emotions, intuition, and the subconscious mind. The super Blue Moon amplifies these aspects, offering a time of heightened emotional and intuitive clarity.

How does a blue moon affect you? ›

Accepting radical changes. “The blue full moon in Aquarius brings a dynamic, almost electric energy into our lives, motivating us to revolutionize our reality, free ourselves from stagnation and make long-overdue changes.

What is the secret of blue moon? ›

But every once in a while a tropical year contains 13 full Moons, so one season has four full moons instead of just three, hence the 'blue moon. ' The almanac also names all the full moons, including blue moons, at the beginning of each tropical year calendar.

What is the blue moon myth? ›

Although the term "blue moon" is now applied to the second full moon to appear in a calendar month, it originally was given to an extra full moon that happened in a season. Some modern magical traditions associate the Blue Moon with the growth of knowledge and wisdom within the phases of a woman's life.

Which is the rarest moon color? ›

In very rare circumstances, the Moon can appear blue, but in this case the colour would be caused by viewing the Moon through a haze of dust particles in our atmosphere, perhaps from a recent volcanic eruption. From space, however, the Moon will look just as grey as it always has!

Is it rare to see a blue moon? ›

According to NASA, about 25% of all full moons are big or “super” moons, but only 3% of full moons are blue moons. Super blue moons happen irregularly; the time between them can be up to 20 years, but on average it's 10 years.

When was the last super blue moon? ›

When was the last super blue moon? The last super blue moon was recent — August 2023 — but the next one won't happen until 2037, according to NASA.

What is the super blue moon in 2024? ›

We've rounded up some of the best photos worldwide. August's Supermoon Blue Moon 2024 put on an epic show worldwide and we've rounded up some of the best photos to prove it. The Supermoon Blue Moon occurred at 2:26 p.m. EDT (1826 GMT) on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, when the moon was 100% fully illuminated.

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