Blue Supermoon Double-Feature Expected for August

Tuesday, August 1st marks the first supermoon of the month. A second one will come at the end of the month on the 30th. (This makes supermoon #2 a blue moon!) The last time we had two in the same month was August 2018. According to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, this phenomenon will not happen again until 2037.

The classification of Supermoon is given when the Full Moon is considerably closer to Earth, making the moon appear larger. The moon rising in the southeast this Tuesday will be just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, earning the classification. The moon on the 30th will be even closer at 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers). The second full moon will also be a blue moon because it will be occurring in the same month.

That old saying, “Once in a blue moon,” makes more sense to me now.

Masi will be hosting a live webcast of the upcoming moon as it rises over the Colosseum of Rome. The August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. This is because of the historic abundance of that fish as it would appear in the Great Lakes during this time.

While a clear sky will always be one of the best ways to see the moon and stars, there are tools to help. Telescopes and binoculars enhance the viewing experience, allowing anyone to see the finer details. Features like the lunar maria, dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows, and craters become easily viewable with the tools.