New Delhi: Skygazers will be in for a treat on August 19 since they will get to see a supermoon, one of the largest and brightest moons of 2024. A supermoon is called so because the moon appears significantly large in the sky since it is the closest to Earth at a time when it is full. The combination of a Supermoon and a Blue Moon, which only occurs a few times per few decades, will make for a highly uncommon astronomical event tomorrow. Since the full moon that occurs in August is traditionally referred to as a “Sturgeon Moon,” this Supermoon blue moon is also termed a “Sturgeon Moon.”
A Supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the Moon being at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, known as perigee. During a Supermoon, the Moon appears larger and brighter in the sky than usual.
Meanwhile, a blue moon refers to the occurrence of a second full moon within a single calendar month. Despite the name, a Blue Moon doesn’t appear blue; it’s just an additional full moon that occurs under these specific conditions.
When these two events align, you get a Supermoon Blue Moon.
This means there will be a full moon that is both unusually large and bright (Supermoon) and the second full moon in the same calendar month (Blue Moon).
The rare supermoon blue moon, also known as the ‘Sturgeon Moon,’ is set to appear on August 19 and is expected to shine about 30% brighter than a typical moonlit night.
Although it’s scheduled to rise at 2:26 PM EDT on August 19, it will continue to look nearly full on the nights leading up to this date. However, the exact viewing times will differ depending on your location and time zone.
Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi Purnima, celebrated on the full moon day, is coinciding with the super blue moon this year, making it even more special for Indians.