A rare Super Blue Moon will be in the sky tonight. This is the last one till 2037
You can see the rare Super Blue Moon on August 30. Photo: Getty Images
You can see the Super Blue Moon today, on August 30, where it will be the biggest and brightest moon of the year. This will be the last rare Super Blue Moon to appear until 2037.
The last rare Super Blue moon until 2037 will take place tomorrow, August 30th. pic.twitter.com/FsfFrnBJ0E
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 29, 2023
A supermoon occurs when the moon travels around the Earth in an elliptical orbit and when it is at or near its closest point to Earth at the same time as it is a full moon, this is called a "supermoon". During this celestial phenomenon, the full moon is closer to Earth, and appears larger and brighter in the sky.
Here's a video explaining how a supermoon occurs:
According to The Guardian, this supermoon will the largest of the four supermoons occurring this year. The moon will be 2,22,043 miles (3,57,344 km) away from Earth and will appear larger than average.
So, what is a blue moon?
- Blue moon is a term that refers to the occurrence when we see full moon twice in a single month.
- This month, the first full moon occurred on August 1 and so the moon on August 30 will be called a blue moon.
- According to NASA, a full moon that happens on the 1st or 2nd of a calendar month is generally followed by a second full moon on 30th or 31st. And this phenomenon generally happens every two to three years.
Blue moon has got nothing to do with the colour of the moon, although sometimes, because of the tiny particles that are present in the air (particles of dust or smoke) scatter the red wavelengths of light, that makes it look as though the moon is blue in colour.
When can you see the blue moon in India?
For all the skygazers in India, you can watch the blue moon achieve its ultimate brightness at around 9.30 pm. (IST), and last till around 7.30 am (IST) on August 31.