If you are an avid stargazer and the mysteries of the cosmos intrigue you, tomorrow is the day for you! The only Blue Moon of 2023 is set to illuminate tomorrow’s night sky and will be accompanied by planets like Saturn, Venus, and Jupiter. And what makes this event even more special is that it will also be a supermoon! Have a look at the details for this “once in a Blue Moon” occurrence down below.
A Super Blue Moon Is Set to Illuminate The Sky Tomorrow!
On August 30, 2023, you will be able to witness the sole Blue Moon occurrence of the year, and it will also be a supermoon, making it look bigger than usual. Since this is the second full moon in August, it has been qualified as a Super Blue Moon. The Super Blue Moon will be at its peak at 8:37 pm IST, 11:07 am ET, and 9:36 pm EDT.
To make this event even more special, Saturn is expected to make an appearance on the lower right side of this rare Moon, as it sets below the horizon on August 31, 2023. This is happening merely a few days before the planet turns its “closest and brightest for the year.”
Now, you may ask, “What is exactly a Blue Moon especially, a Super Blue Moon?” For starters, the name of this occurrence has nothing to do with the color of the moon. If a full moon occurs twice a month, the latter one in the calendar month is labeled as a “Blue Moon” by NASA. And this makes it a monthly Blue Moon.
Now, this occurrence is said to happen with the Moon being almost exactly lined up with the perigee, which is the nearest point to the Earth along its orbit, which is approximately at a distance of 3,63,712 kilometers. This aspect of it makes it a supermoon since by being closer to Earth, the Moon will appear large in the night sky. This happens because the Moon follows an elliptical orbit to rotate around the Earth each month. This results in a changed position between the distance of the Moon and the Earth.
It will be a rare occurrence, since according to NASA, “about 25 percent of all full moons are supermoons, but only 3 percent of full moons are blue moons.” While the next Blue Moon can occur as soon as 2026, the next Super Blue Moon will not occur before 2037. This is because since the time period between Super Blue Moons is quite irregular, the frequency of its occurrence is usually around a decade on average.
With that being said, make sure to look up at the sky tomorrow just after twilight to catch a glimpse of this rare celestial occurrence. And beside Saturn accompanying the Super Blue Moon, Venus, and Jupiter can also adorn the twilight sky if you are lucky. However, if due to unpleasant weather conditions in your region, you are unable to witness this moment tomorrow, NASA has assured you that the Moon will appear full in the night sky from August 29 till September 1, 2023.
