Even if you’re not a stargazer by nature, next week, you’ll want to be sure to cast your eyes upon the moon.
Beginning Monday, August 19, the moon will be in rare form. Not only will it be a supermoon, but it will also be blue. It’s also the Sturgeon moon (the Native American name for “August”).
Both supermoons and full moons are common. The combination, however, is extraordinarily rare.
What’s a supermoon?
According to NASA, a supermoon happens when the moon’s orbit is within 90% of its closest distance to Earth. The event, which can make the moon appear larger, brighter, and more extraordinary, happens three to four times a year, and always consecutively.
Blue moons are not infrequent, either (regardless of how the saying goes). While they can sometimes appear blue in color due to dust in the atmosphere, the event actually refers to the timing of a full moon, according to NASA. Seasonal blue moons are the third full moon in an astrological season with four full moons. A monthly blue moon is the second of two full moons.
A super blue moon only happens when both patterns overlap, and they definitely don’t happen regularly. While usually they happen about once a decade, sometimes they occur around 20 years apart.
When is the best time to moon-gaze?
The super blue moon is set to reach its peak fullness during daytime hours. At 2:26 p.m. on August 19, the moon will be exceptional, yet also exceptionally hard to see. Once the sun sets, the moon will still be stunning, and its fullness will hold for several days. NASA says the super blue moon will be visible from Sunday morning until Wednesday night.
No matter what you’re doing, you’ll want to catch a glimpse of the moon. That’s especially true because the phenomenon won’t take place again for a very long time. While the next supermoons will happen on September 17, October 17, and November 15, the next blue super moon won’t appear until January and March 2037.