August’s supermoon blue moon will make its appearance on Monday afternoon, lasting for four days as 2024 is set to have four consecutive supermoons, giving onlookers an opportunity to admire the spectacle in the sky.
This month’s supermoon, which is also a blue moon, will reach peak illumination on Monday at 2:26 p.m. EST and will appear full for three days, according to NASA.
If you are looking for specific details on moonrise times for your ZIP code, visit the Old Farmer’s Almanac’s website here.
As for tomorrow’s moon, NASA says it will first appear full on Sunday morning but will continue to appear full through early Wednesday morning.
According to the space agency, 98% of the moon’s nearside will be illuminated by the sun on Sunday, 100% on Monday, and 99% on Tuesday.
For those wondering what a supermoon is, it won’t save you from a burning building, but it does designate the Lunar orbit.
A supermoon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth while also being full at the same time, NASA shares. The moon’s distance to Earth can vary by more than 30,000 miles, being as close as 221,457 miles and as far as 252,712 miles.
While the supermoon peaks this month, the moon will be an estimated 225,288 miles from Earth, with it being even closer in September at roughly 222,005 miles, before then getting further away in October at 222,095, and November at 224,385, according to data from the space agency.
NASA says that the difference in size between the average full moon and a supermoon is similar to that of a quarter and a nickel. Supermoons are also brighter than the average full moon by about 16%.
August’s supermoon is also special because it is a blue moon, meaning it is the third full moon of the season, NASA shared. The title of blue moon, unlike the blue milk in Star Wars, does not designate a different color in the moon.
If you aren’t able to catch the moon this week, the Sturgeon Moon, don’t fret, as the next will be the Harvest Moon, which will reach peak illumination on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The Hunter’s Moon will peak on Thursday, Oct. 17, and the Beaver Moon will peak on Friday, Nov. 17.