Get ready to witness a rare celestial event this August! The full moon will be a supermoon and a blue moon, making it a double delight for skywatchers.
Starting from Sunday morning and lasting until Wednesday, the full moon will reach its peak at 1:26 p.m. in San Antonio on Monday. So, mark your calendars and make sure to catch a glimpse of this spectacular sight!
Known as the “sturgeon moon” because of the abundance of fish in August in the Great Lakes region, this full moon is also referred to by various other names such as the green corn moon, the barley moon, the dog moon, and the fruit moon.
August’s full moon will kick off a series of four supermoons in a row, with each full moon from August to November being a supermoon.
What exactly is a supermoon, you ask? It’s when the moon appears slightly larger than usual because it’s at or near perigee, the point closest to Earth in its orbit. This means the moon will appear about 14% bigger in size and 30% brighter compared to when it’s at apogee, the farthest point from Earth.
Moreover, August’s full moon is also classified as a blue moon. Contrary to what the name suggests, a blue moon doesn’t refer to the moon’s color but instead to its occurrence. There are two types of blue moons, and this month’s full moon falls under the category of a seasonal blue moon.
Other Astronomical Events
Apart from the full moon, there are other exciting celestial events happening this month. On Wednesday, Mars and Jupiter will be at their closest proximity until 2033.
Additionally, the Perseids meteor shower is back, promising skygazers an opportunity to witness more than 50 meteors per hour until September 1st.
SkyWatcher (Oscar)
I missed taking photos of the Perseid meteor shower due to a technical glitch. I made up for it early this morning. Woohoo!
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