Blue Supermoon Lights Up the Sky Tonight, Heralding a Series of Astronomical Events
- PublishedAugust 19, 2024
Get ready for a celestial spectacle tonight as a rare blue supermoon graces the horizon, marking the beginning of a series of captivating astronomical events, according to Sky News.
Supermoons occur when a full moon reaches its closest point in its orbit to Earth, appearing larger and brighter than usual.
A blue moon happens when there are two full moons within a single calendar month or four full moons within a season.
They’re fairly rare – hence the saying, “once in a blue moon” – and occur once every two to three years.
Source: Dafydd Wyn Morgan/Cambrian Mountains Initiative
First of four supermoons
The dust from these may give the moon a red glow; blue moons aren’t actually blue.
The past two nights have seen spectacular moons around the UK, but they were just the warm-up. Tonight’s moon is the official supermoon and if the skies clear, it could be impressive.
Following tonight’s rare blue supermoon, a series of supermoons will grace the sky, with the next one occurring on September 18, followed by supermoons on October 17 and November 15. While tonight’s blue supermoon is a special event, September’s supermoon will be accompanied by a partial lunar eclipse, offering another celestial spectacle worth watching.
