This month's full moon will occur today (Monday, Aug. 19, 2024) at 2:26 p.m. EDT and be the first of four supermoons this year. It's considered a rare blue supermoon.
According to NASA, the combination of the supermoon and the blue moon is exceptionally rare, and the time between their occurrences is quite “irregular."
What exactly does that mean?
The term "supermoon" was first coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979, as "either a new or full moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth" according to NASA.
The Blue Supermoon is quite rare due to the combination of two uncommon astronomical events:
1. A supermoon occurs when the full moon is at its closest approach to Earth in its orbit, making it appear larger and brighter than usual. Supermoons happen about three to four times a year.
2. A Blue Moon The "blue" part means that this is the third of four full moons this season, an unusual occurrence.
Although the supermoon will not be blue in color, it can appear very large.
The reason it can appear quite large is that when the moon is near the horizon, we see it alongside trees, buildings and other objects. That gives us a sense of scale, so our brain compares the moon to these nearby objects, making it appear larger. When the moon is higher up in the sky, there's nothing to compare it to, so it looks smaller.
Full supermoons are the biggest and brightest full moons of the year, appearing approximately 30% brighter and 14% larger than usual.
August's supermoon will be the first of four this year, with the others occurring on Sept. 17, Oct. 17 and Nov. 15. The closest supermoon will be October's Hunter's Moon, rising at 7:26 a.m. ET (1126 GMT) on Oct. 17.
When can I see the Supermoon?
Though the full moon officially rises at 2:26 p.m. EDT on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, it will still appear nearly full on the nights surrounding Aug. 19.
The next time this will happen will be in 2037!