just word for lunar lovers , as the first Supermoon of the twelvemonth is fast go up on August 19 at 6:26 pm UTC . It ’s also a double hex of celestial phenomena : as well as being “ first-rate ” , the Moon will be “ racy ” – here ’s what that all means .
The Moon ’s orbit is not quite a perfect band , so as it travels around the Earth it passes through its closest detail ( we call it perigee ) and its most distant ( screw as apogee ) . ASupermoonoccurs when the Moon is full and at perigee – and because it is at its closest to us , it seem bigger and brighter , hence the term Supermoon . The difference of opinion is difficult to find with the naked middle , however .
Monday ’s Supermoon will be the first of four this year , with the others occurring on September 18 , October 17 , and November 15 . Of these , the one in October istippedto be the closest at 357,364 kilometers ( 222,055 miles ) . Next week ’s glide slope will be 361,970 km ( 224,917 miles ) – equate to the average Earth - Moon distance of 384,400 kilometers ( 238,900 miles ) , that ’s jolly close .
If you were n’t excited enough at the prospect of a bountiful , bolder Moon , the coming Supermoon will also be aBlue Moon – but alas , it wo n’t be twist a sensational shade of sapphire .
There are two definition of Blue Moon , which have nothing to do with color . The first is a seasonal Blue Moon , the third Full Moon in a season that has four Full Moons . This is the traditional definition and the character we will be seeing on Monday . The other definition refers to the 2nd Full Moon in a single calendar month .
Despite what the idiomatic expression “ once in a Blue Moon ” might have you believe , they ’re not that uncommon : Blue Moons run to occur every two to three years .
August ’s Full Moon is also known as a Sturgeon Moon – the Algonquin kinship group in what is now the northeastern USA name it as such after the Pisces the Fishes , which are catch more easily this sentence of year .
The upcoming Supermoon Blue Moon extravaganza will be well viewed on Monday evening , but the Moon will seem fullfor three Clarence Day , from Sunday daybreak through other Wednesday . Check outthese tipson how to capture it with your smartphone .
