The “Super Blue Moon” can be seen in the sky next Monday; how to see?

The “Super Blue Moon” can be seen in the sky next Monday; how to see?


The first Supermoon of 2024 will coincide with the phenomenon of the “Sturgeon Moon”, allowing us to appreciate the “Super Blue Moon”; understand!

Next Monday, August 19, those who decide to stop and observe the night sky will be able to come across the largest and brightest full moon of 2024 to date. The August full moon is usually already called the “Sturgeon Moon,” but in this case it will also be a “Super Blue Moon.”




The Sturgeon Moon, also known as the “blue moon,” will reach its maximum fullness on August 19. It’s worth remembering that there are two types of blue moons (though neither is literally blue): a monthly blue moon, which is the second full moon recorded in a single month, and a seasonal blue moon, the third of four full moons in the same astronomical season.

According to the Live ScienceSince the summer solstice on June 20, there have been full moons on June 22 and July 21. The next full moon, on August 19, will be the Sturgeon Moon, followed by the Harvest Moon on September 18, before the equinox arrives on September 22.

The phenomenon of blue moons, according to NASA, is not that rare, as it is recorded once every two to three years. The last seasonal blue moons, for example, appeared in October 2020 and August 2021, and the next one is expected to occur in May 2027, as explained in a post on timeanddate.com.

The moon will be best visible above the eastern horizon as it rises on Monday, but it should also appear brighter than usual on Sunday and Tuesday. Observation binoculars and simple home telescopes are not necessary to appreciate the phenomenon, but they can help anyone who wants to observe our natural satellite in more detail.

An interesting fact is that the full moon in August is called the “sturgeon moon”, because in the regions of Great Lakes this time of year, according to Live Science.

Supermoon

For astronomy enthusiasts, the next full moon may be impressive because it is not only the famous “Sturgeon Moon” (or “blue moon”), but also because it is a supermoon. Because of the Moon’s monthly orbit around the Earth, which is not a perfect circle, every month the Moon reaches, at a certain point, its closest point to the Earth (perigee), which, when it coincides with the full Moon, forms the so-called “supermoon”.

By the end of the year we will have three more Supermoons, after the Sturgeon Moon. The closest full moon to us will be recorded The Hunter’s MoonOctober 17. The Harvest Moon, following August, will be recorded on September 17 and is also expected to feature a partial eclipse, as it will pass through the Earth’s shadow during the night.

*Article originally published on Adventures in History

Source: Terra

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