Skygazers across the world are waiting eagerly for a celestial treat as a rare event called the ‘Blue Moon’ is set to illuminate the sky tonight. What draws more attention is the other moniker 'Super Moon' which implies that the Moon is expected to appear slightly bigger and brighter during this event. This time, the celestial event holds more importance as the Moon is approaching the planet Saturn.
2023 had four super moon events scheduled out of which, the first one took place on July 3 and the second one on August 1. The third will happen on August 30 while the final occurrence will be on September 28. This magnificent celestial phenomenon has not apppeared in the night sky since 2009, and it won't appear until 2032.
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What is a 'Super Blue Moon' event?
Astronomically, the Super Blue Moon phenomenon is said to happen when the moon's orbit is closest to Earth and at the same time, the moon is full.
According to NASA, on the night of August 30, the moon will reach its peak illumination at 9:36 pm EDT.
It has been reported that the super moon on August 30, the third in the sequence, will be the closest to Earth and the largest among all the full super moons this year, at 222,043 miles (357,344km) away from Earth when compared with the average 240,000 miles (386,242 km) distance between Earth and the moon, according to EarthSky, hence the full moon will appear larger than average, and thus the title super moon.
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Surprisingly, the term "blue moon" shares no relation with the colour of the moon, Instead, it refers to the occurrence of two full moons within a single calendar month.
When and how to watch the blue moon in India?
In India, the Blue Moon is expected to achieve peak brightness at around 9:30 pm (IST) while Blue Super Moon reach it zenith around 7:30 am on August 31.
To get the perfect sight of the full moon, one should watch the moon shortly after sunset during the dusk hours.
The Super Blue Moon can be seen on August 30, around 8:37 PM EDT.
