Stargazers are in for a double treat this week: a rare blue supermoon with Saturn peeking from behind.The cosmic curtain rises Wednesday night with the second full moon of the month, the reason it’s considered blue. It’s dubbed a supermoon because it’s closer to Earth than usual, appearing especially big and bright.This will be the closest full moon of the year, just 222,043 miles or so away. That’s more than 100 miles closer than the Aug. 1 supermoon. As a bonus, Saturn will be visible as a bright point 5 degrees to the upper right of the moon at sunset in the east-southeastern sky, according to NASA. The ringed planet will appear to circle clockwise around the moon as the night wears on.If you missed the month’s first spectacle, better catch this one. There won’t be another blue supermoon until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.PHOTOS: The first supermoon in August rises around the worldClouds spoiled Masi’s attempt to livestream the supermoon rising earlier this month. He’s hoping for clearer skies this time so he can capture the blue supermoon shining above St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.Weather permitting, observers don’t need binoculars or telescopes — “just their own eyes.” said Masi.“I’m always excited to admire the beauty of the night sky,” he said, especially when it features a blue supermoon.UI professor explains the supermoonUniversity of Iowa Astronomy Professor Casey DeRoo is an expert X-ray astronomy. He explained the rare phenomenon of the blue supermoon.”The moon gets just a little bit closer than it normally does to Earth,” he said. “It gets about 5% closer, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but it actually makes for a slightly more dramatic viewing. So the moon appears about 10 to 15% brighter.”The best time to see it tonight is around 10 p.m. when it’s low in the horizon, according to DeRoo, who said that positioning creates a sort of optical illusion, making the moon appear larger than it is. Supermoons in 2023The first supermoon of 2023 was in July and another was Aug. 1. The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.The fourth and last will be in September.The August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That’s because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago.Wednesday forecast video
Stargazers are in for a double treat this week: a rare blue supermoon with Saturn peeking from behind.
The cosmic curtain rises Wednesday night with the second full moon of the month, the reason it’s considered blue. It’s dubbed a supermoon because it’s closer to Earth than usual, appearing especially big and bright.
This will be the closest full moon of the year, just 222,043 miles or so away. That’s more than 100 miles closer than the Aug. 1 supermoon.
As a bonus, Saturn will be visible as a bright point 5 degrees to the upper right of the moon at sunset in the east-southeastern sky, according to NASA. The ringed planet will appear to circle clockwise around the moon as the night wears on.
If you missed the month’s first spectacle, better catch this one. There won’t be another blue supermoon until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
PHOTOS: The first supermoon in August rises around the world
Clouds spoiled Masi’s attempt to livestream the supermoon rising earlier this month. He’s hoping for clearer skies this time so he can capture the blue supermoon shining above St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
Weather permitting, observers don’t need binoculars or telescopes — “just their own eyes.” said Masi.
“I’m always excited to admire the beauty of the night sky,” he said, especially when it features a blue supermoon.
UI professor explains the supermoon
University of Iowa Astronomy Professor Casey DeRoo is an expert X-ray astronomy. He explained the rare phenomenon of the blue supermoon.
“The moon gets just a little bit closer than it normally does to Earth,” he said. “It gets about 5% closer, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but it actually makes for a slightly more dramatic viewing. So the moon appears about 10 to 15% brighter.”
The best time to see it tonight is around 10 p.m. when it’s low in the horizon, according to DeRoo, who said that positioning creates a sort of optical illusion, making the moon appear larger than it is.
Supermoons in 2023
The first supermoon of 2023 was in July and another was Aug. 1.
The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
The fourth and last will be in September.
The August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That’s because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago.
Wednesday forecast video
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