Rare Blue Supermoon Shines This Month

This August, you won’t want to miss the first supermoon of 2024, which will dazzle onlookers for a few days! The full moon reached its peak brightness early on Monday, August 19, at 2:26 p.m. EDT, according to NASA. However, it will look full from Sunday through early Wednesday.

The excitement builds as the moon will be around 98% illuminated on Sunday, hitting the full 100% by Monday. By Tuesday, it will still be nearly fully lit at about 99%. You don’t need any fancy equipment to enjoy this show; even without binoculars or a telescope, the view will be spectacular.

So, what exactly is a supermoon? It happens when the moon is at its closest point to Earth during a full moon. This month, the moon will be about 221,457 miles away, and it’s even closer in September!

When it comes to size, supermoons look bigger and brighter than your average full moon. In fact, NASA’s reports say that this month’s full moon will seem 6.2% larger and 12.8% brighter than normal, while the next full moons will be even bigger.

August’s full moon is not just any supermoon; it’s also a blue moon. But don’t expect to see a blue-colored moon. A blue moon happens to be the third full moon in a season that has four full moons. The term has nothing to do with color at all!

This month’s full moon is known as the Sturgeon Moon, named after the giant fish caught in the Great Lakes during this time of year. It’s also known by various names like the Red Moon, Corn Moon, and Dog Moon.

If you miss this blue supermoon, no worries! There are three more supermoons this year. The next one is set for September 18, which is also called the Harvest Moon. Fun fact: that moon will have a partial lunar eclipse as well!