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The 'blue Moon' Won't Be The Only Rare Sight In The Night Sky This Week
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August began with a bright supermoon and will end the same way as another one lights up the night sky this week. The ringed planet Saturn will also make its closest and brightest appearance of the year near the moon.
The full moon will peak at 9:36 p.M. ET on the evening of August 30, but will appear full through Friday morning, according to NASA.
At the end of evening twilight on Wednesday, around 8:42 p.M. ET, the bright glow of Saturn will appear about 5 degrees to the upper right of the moon. Over the course of the evening, Saturn will appear to move clockwise around the moon, according to NASA. At their closest, the two will appear to be about the width of four full moons apart, according to EarthSky.
Saturn reached opposition on August 27, when Earth moved between it and the sun, which means the ringed planet is at the closest point in its orbit to our planet and therefore visible in our night sky.
Both of the full moons in August can be considered supermoons, according to EarthSky. Definitions of a supermoon can vary, but the term generally denotes a full moon that is closer to Earth than normal and thus appears larger and brighter in the night sky. The moon will be 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) away from Earth, nearly 18,000 miles (28,968 kilometers) closer than its average distance.
Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of perigee — its closest approach to Earth in orbit.
The supermoon may play a role in Hurricane Idalia, which is expected to make landfall Wednesday morning, by enhancing tides and worsening storm surge. Because of this supermoon's proximity to Earth, its gravity will have a stronger effect on the oceans.
It could increase high tide by around a foot, according to National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome.
The second full moon in one month is also known as a blue moon, like the phrase "once in a blue moon," according to NASA. Just don't expect it to take on a blue hue.
Typically, full moons occur every 29 days, while most months in our calendar last 30 or 31 days, so the months and moon phases don't always align. This results in a blue moon about every 2.5 years, and the last one occurred in August 2021.
August's second full moon also falls on the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan, which celebrates the bonds between brothers and sisters.
Full moons and supermoonsThe fourth and final supermoon in 2023 will rise on September 29.
Here are the full moons remaining in 2023, according to the Farmers' Almanac:
● September 29: Harvest moon
● October 28: Hunter's moon
● November 27: Beaver moon
● December 26: Cold moon
Lunar and solar eclipsesPeople across North, Central and South America will be able to see an annular solar eclipse. During the solar eclipse, the moon will pass between the sun and Earth at or near its farthest point from Earth. The moon will appear smaller than the sun and encircled by a glowing halo.
To avoid damage to the eyes while looking at the phenomenon, viewers should wear eclipse glasses.
A partial lunar eclipse will also take place on October 28. Only part of the moon will pass into shadow as the sun, Earth and moon will not completely align. This partial eclipse will be viewable in Europe, Asia, Australia, parts of North America and much of South Africa.
Each of the remaining meteor showers expected to peak this year will be most visible from late evening until dawn in areas without light pollution. Here are the events' peak dates:
● Orionids: October 20-21
● Southern Taurids: November 4-5
● Northern Taurids: November 11-12
● Leonids: November 17-18
● Geminids: December 13-14
● Ursids: December 21-22
Last 'Super Blue Moon' Until 2037 Rises Tonight
Astronomy enthusiasts are in for a treat Wednesday night: a rare "super blue Moon" that won't be seen again for more than a decade.
Supermoons occur when the Moon passes through its perigee, or the point that takes it closest to Earth during its elliptical orbit. This makes it look about 14 percent bigger compared to when it is at its furthest point, and a touch brighter.
Full Moons are defined by the exact moment they are opposite the Sun, which will occur at 9:36 pm Eastern Time on August 30 (0136 GMT Thursday), according to NASA.
The Virtual Telescope Project, hosted by Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, will host a YouTube livestream beginning at 0336 GMT as it sets below the skyline of Rome.
Despite the description, it won't actually be blue: the term "blue Moon" simply refers to when we see a full moon twice in a month. This happens because lunar cycles are a bit shorter at 29.5 days than calendar months, which last 30 or 31 days, so it's possible for one to happen at the start of a month and the other right at the end.
The previous super blue Moon occurred in December 2009, with the next set to come in quick succession: January and March of 2037.
The origins of the English expression "once in a blue Moon," today understood to mean something that is very rare, go back hundreds of years. In Elizabethan times, "he would argue the Moon was blue" could be said about a person making outlandish or patently absurd claims.
It is possible, however, for the Moon to take on a blue hue in the right circumstances. This can occur as a result of smoke or dust particles in the atmosphere scattering red wavelengths of life, such as following the eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883.
Dust from the event "turned sunsets green and the Moon blue all around the world for the best part of two years," according to Sky & Telescope magazine. A more recent example may have occurred after 1950's Chinchaga Firestorm, a huge blaze that consumed the northern boreal forests of Canada.
The planet Saturn, just a few days out from its closest and brightest approach to Earth this year, will also appear near the Moon.
Wednesday's full Moon coincides with the Hindu festival "Raksha Bandhan" or Rakhi, which celebrates the bond between siblings. It is traditional for sisters to tie a rakhi, or cotton bracelet, around their brother's wrist, who give a gift in return.
It also falls in the month of Elul in the Hebrew calendar, a time of seeking and granting others forgiveness, as well as beginning and ending letters with wishes for the recipient to have a good year.
"As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon. Take care of your siblings, let go of grudges, and here's wishing you a good year!" said a NASA post.
While the super blue Moon will make for specatular photos, its stronger gravitional pull also makes tides higher, which could exacerbate coastal flooding from Hurricane Idalia as it sweeps across Florida.
© 2023 AFP
Citation: Last 'Super Blue Moon' until 2037 rises tonight (2023, August 30) retrieved 31 August 2023 from https://phys.Org/news/2023-08-super-blue-moon-tonight.Html
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