Two supermoons, including rare Blue Moon, will be seen in August

Monitoring Desk

ISLAMABAD: This is the perfect opportunity for individuals who enjoy staring at celestial objects to take in the spectacular sight of a moon that is particularly brilliant and large.

Due to the fact that the supermoon will appear twice in August, it would be a spectacular sight.

Around the world, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, a Sturgeon Moon is anticipated to illuminate the skies tonight, August 1.

A full supermoon will rise tonight fewer than 226,000 miles (363,300 km) from Earth, according to USAToday.

Dr. Jawed Iqbal, a Pakistani space expert, predicted that the moon will seem 14% larger and 30% brighter tonight than usual.

The Old Farmer’s Almanack predicts that on Tuesday at 2:32pm ETD, the moon will be at its brightest.

Turn your attention to the southeast after sunset that evening to catch a glimpse of the rising sturgeon moon, said USAToday.

According to Majed Abu Zahra, head of the Astronomical Society in Jeddah, the supermoon will peak in Makkah tonight at 9:30 p.m. local time.

What is a supermoon?

A supermoon, often referred to as a perigean full moon, is a phenomena that occurs when the moon is full at its closest point in its orbit around Earth.

When a full moon appears within 90% of its perigee, or closest point in its orbit to Earth, the event occurs, according to NASA.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanack, this enhances its appearance, making it appear up to 8% larger and 16% brighter than a regular full moon.

According to USAToday, the huge fish in the Great Lakes that were easiest to catch at this time of year inspired the name of the Sturgeon Moon.

A lunar double

Supermoons typically occur three or four times a year, but this month is unique since it will experience the event twice.

The term “Blue Moon” refers to a supermoon that occurs twice in one month. We now understand the origin of the expression “once in a blue moon” when referring to a rare yet recurrent occurrence.

The two celestial events in August will include a rare Blue Moon, according to USA Today.

According to Farmer’s Almanack, the moon will be the largest and brightest on August 30 due to its “exceptionally close” closeness to Earth at 222,043 miles, which is about 17,000 miles closer than usual.

The United States’ dusk will be closest to the super Blue Moon’s peak intensity.

Furthermore, anyone who misses the Super Blue Moon in August will have to wait nine years to see it again.

The Blue Moons, according to NASA, occur around every two and a half years, so they aren’t quite as uncommon as they would seem.

However, compared to regular supermoons, a blue supermoon occurs far less frequently; the most recent one was in December 2009.

According to Time and Date, the next Blue Moon won’t be until August 2032.