Extremely Rare Blue Supermoon Rises on August 30: What to Expect From the Biggest and Brightest Full Moon of the Year?

The year 2023 is marked with 13 full moons with each month having one full moon, except for August which will have two. The last full moon named Super Sturgeon Moon took place on August 1 and was the second supermoon of the year.

Biggest and Brightest Moon Phase of the Year

The next full moon will take place on the night of August 30, appearing opposite the Sun at 9:36 PM EDT. This event is named as blue supermoon since three lunar phenomena will happen at once. From Tuesday night to Friday morning, the Moon will appear fully illuminated around the peak of its full Moon phase.

The Moon will appear orange in color during this event, but it will be designated as a blue moon. There are actually two kinds of blue moons according to NASA, and neither of them has anything to do with the actual color of the Moon.

The third full moon in a season that has four full moon phases is called a seasonal blue moon. On the other hand, the second full moon within one calendar month is referred to as a monthly blue moon. The full moon on August 30 will meet the criteria for both the seasonal and monthly blue moon. On average, a blue moon can be seen once every three years, according to NASA.

This event is also marked as a supermoon, a phenomenon where the full moon is close to its nearest point to Earth. Since the orbit of the Moon around the Earth is elliptical, it reaches the closest point called perigee and the farthest point called apogee as it revolves around our planet every month. If a full moon comes within 90% of perigee in a month, it is qualified as a supermoon.

The August 30 full moon is expected to be the third and closest of four supermoons of the year. It will be the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2023, being only 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) from Earth. The moon will not get any closer to our planet until November 2025.

This event is also called Sturgeon Moon by the Old Farmer's Almanac which gives full moon names from European, Colonial American, and Native American sources. This month's full moon was traditionally called the Sturgeon Moon because the giant prehistoric-looking fish called sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this season.

Event Highlights

This event will also coincide with the appearance of Saturn which is just a few days from its closest and brightest phase for this year. On the night of the full moon at 8:42 P.M., Saturn will be located at 5 degrees to the upper right side of the full moon. As the lunar cycle progresses, Saturn will shift westward each evening and will appear to be swinging clockwise around the Moon.

Meanwhile, planet Mars will be seen setting on the western horizon on the night of August 30. After September 1, this planet will be below the horizon as the evening twilight ends.

Several stars will also be part of the celestial background while the blue supermoon is being observed. At 85 degrees above the eastern horizon, Vega, the 5th brightest star in our night sky, will appear closest to overhead of the full moon.

Check out more news and information on Full Moon in Science Times.