As summer bids its farewell, the month of August is poised to deliver a celestial treat—a supermoon of unparalleled magnitude. This extraordinary lunar event is further adorned with the title of a “Blue Moon,” a name reserved for rare occurrences, much like saying “once in a blue moon.”
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The grand supermoon is set to dazzle the night sky on August 30th at 9:35 p.m. EST, a date anticipated with bated breath by skywatchers and stargazers. The allure of this Blue Moon lies in its twofold definition.
Traditionally, a Blue Moon occurs when two full moons grace a single calendar month, a phenomenon that will manifest this August. However, there is another definition—when an extra full moon graces a season. In this context, if a season harbors four full moons, the third is christened a blue moon or a seasonal blue moon.
Notably, following the full moon in August 2023, the next occurrence of a monthly blue moon won’t grace our skies until May 31, 2026, according to EarthSky. Likewise, the next supermoon to approach Earth with such proximity won’t be until November 5, 2025. This makes this month’s supermoon a celestial spectacle, not only the grandest and brightest of the year but a rarity that will not recur for two years until 2025.
The moon orbits Earth approximately every 29.5 days. In August, the second full moon assumes the guise of a supermoon, standing out as the largest in 2023 due to its remarkable proximity, hovering a mere 357,344 kilometers away, as explained by EarthSky.
Prepare to witness this celestial marvel—a supermoon of unprecedented grandeur and brilliance, aptly cloaked in the mystique of a Blue Moon, on the night of August 30th, 2023.
