Once in a blue moon’: How to watch the super moon on August 30 that will appear again in 2037
August is almost over, but it still has a rare event to deliver to skywatchers in the form of a second full moon. The full moon that rises on Wednesday, Aug. 30, will be a special one too, the unification of a supermoon and a Blue Moon, a “Super Blue Moon.”
The moon won’t appear particularly blue at this time, however. The term “Blue Moon” has nothing to do with color, instead referring to either two moons occurring in the same calendar month (as in this case), or the third full moon in a season that has four full moons. A supermoon, meanwhile, refers to a full moon that occurs when the moon is closer to Earth in its orbit, resulting in a slightly larger and brighter appearance.
According to In the Sky, from New York City, August’s second full moon will begin rising over the eastern horizon in the Aquarius constellation just after sunset tonight at around 7:10 p.m. EDT (2310 GMT). The Super Blue Moon will then set just before sunrise on Thursday, Aug. 31 at around 06:46 EDT (1046 GMT).
And if weather is poor in your area, no need to fret: You can watch the Super Blue Moon with a free livestream hosted by the Virtual Telescope Project.
This blue moon will be even closer to Earth, at 222,043 miles away, making it appear bigger in the sky.
This compares with a distance of about 252,088 miles when the moon is at its furthest point from Earth.
It will mark the first time in five years that two supermoons have appeared in the same month, a rarity astronomers don’t expect to see again until 2037.
How can I see it?
All you have to do is look up.
Unlike shooting stars or comets, which require a bit more thought around when and where you’ll want to head out to see them, supermoons are far from inconspicuous.
They can appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than when the moon is further away from Earth.
So long as it’s not too cloudy, the Royal Observatory at Greenwich says anyone should be able to see the “unmistakable white orb in the sky”.
Of course, those with binoculars or a telescope could get an even more detailed view of the moon’s surface, and photographers are also encouraged to take advantage.
Dr Greg Brown, astronomer at the Royal Observatory, says while the blue supermoon will peak at 2.35am Thursday, visibility should be good for around a day either side.
“If you have a clear enough view to the south, it will be easily visible to the unaided eye,” he says.
For a really impressive view, have a look at moonrise (just after sunset) or moonset (just before sunrise)
‘White orb’? I thought it was blue?
Confusingly, the blue moon moniker does not actually relate to its colour.
Typically, there is one full moon per month – and cultures around the world have given them each a name, though the most well known come from the Native Americans.
For example, August’s is the Buck Moon and September’s is the Full Corn Moon.
With Wednesday’s being an extra, it doesn’t fit into the normal naming scheme and so instead is a blue moon. There are other definitions of what makes a blue moon, but this is the most applicable to our normal calendar.
Its rarity is where the expression “once in a blue moon” comes from.
It’s worth remembering that not all blue moons are supermoons (when the moon is at its closest point to the Earth), which makes this one extra special.
What if I miss it?
This specific phenomenon – the second supermoon in a single month – won’t happen again for 14 years.
But there will be other supermoons and blue moons before then.
The next supermoon will be on 29 September, while the next blue moon is set for 31 May 2026.
Of course, the internet should be littered with pictures of this week’s lunar showcase by Thursday morning.
