Between the total solar eclipse and the widely viewed aurora borealis this year, 2024 is proving to be full of rare celestial events. Soon, we can add August’s full moon to this growing list. Although a monthly full moon isn’t unique in and of itself, there are two reasons why this one is different than most. First, there’s the fact that this will be a supermoon. This name indicates that the moon will be closer than normal — within 90% of its closest approach to Earth, to be more specific.
Understandably, hearing that name might make you imagine the moon, quite literally, being the color blue. But the name has nothing to do with its appearance. Instead, it indicates a rarity in the number of full moons in a season. Usually, we get three. But every two to three years, we’ll see four. When this rarity does happen, the third full moon of the season is called “blue.”
Why is the August Full Moon Considered to be Especially Spectacular?
Both a supermoon and blue moon are rare events — but both of them happening at the same time is exceptionally rare. In fact, this event takes place every 10 to 20 years, with the next expected all the way in January 2037. No wonder this is such big news!
Although this rare blue supermoon became visible last night, tonight (Monday, August 19), will be the peak viewing time. As usual, we’ll need to wait until the sun rises. To find out exactly when the moon will rise in your area, check out this cool calculator. Enter your location in the search bar then look for “moonrise” time. Have fun and stay safe!