In August 2023, astronomy enthusiasts around the world will have the opportunity to admire two consecutive supermoons at the beginning and end of the month.
"Summer nights are the perfect time to see a full moon rising in the eastern sky a few minutes after sunset. And that happens twice in August," said Fred Espenak, a retired NASA astrophysicist.
Two supermoons will appear in August, a rare astronomical phenomenon that won't be repeated for 14 years. (Photo: Shutterstock)
The first supermoon fell on August 1 when the Moon was 357,530 km from Earth, about 26,870 km closer than the average distance between the two celestial bodies.
The second supermoon, which falls on August 30, is expected to be even more spectacular as the Moon and Earth will be several hundred kilometers closer to each other. At that time, the estimated distance between Earth and its satellite is 357,344 kilometers.
Andrew McCarthy, an astrophotographer in Arizona (USA), said the moon on the night of August 1 was about 30% brighter than usual.
There are four supermoons appearing in 2023: July 3, August 1, August 31, and September 29. (Photo: Animal News Agency)
If the sky is clear, binoculars or a telescope can enhance the viewing experience, revealing structures like lunar seas — dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows — and rays emanating from craters on the Moon, Espenak said.
Full moon, supermoon and blue moon
Even some experts are confused by the various terms “full moon,” “supermoon,” and “blue moon,” which have been used for centuries. Most people know that a “full moon” is simply a moon that is 100 percent illuminated — when its entire face is illuminated by the Sun.
Meanwhile, a “supermoon” is a phenomenon in which the moon appears in the night sky as big and bright as a giant sphere because it is closer to the Earth than usual. Scientifically, a supermoon occurs because the moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical orbit. This means that there is a point in its orbit that is closer to the Earth and this is called the “perigee” which causes the supermoon phenomenon to occur.
A commercial plane flies over Lake Michigan ahead of the July 2023 supermoon, the first of four supermoons in 2023. (Photo: AP)
A supermoon can be up to 14% larger and up to 30% brighter than a normal full moon, depending on the time of year.
It can be said that a supermoon is essentially a full moon, but not every full moon is a supermoon (usually there are only 3 - 4 supermoons in a year).
What about a blue moon? The phenomenon of two supermoons appearing in the same calendar month is called a “super blue moon” and only occurs every 2-3 years. This is also the origin of the English idiom “once in a blue moon,” referring to an extremely rare event.
According to NASA, the last time two supermoons appeared in the same month was January 2018. This won't happen again until January 2037.
The giant supermoon rises and sets over the village of Deir Ballout, northwest Syria, on July 4, 2023. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Besides differences in size and brightness, supermoons sometimes also come in different colors and shades, depending on how low the Moon is above the horizon.
“A red or yellow moon usually indicates that the moon is seen near the horizon, where some of the blue light has been scattered through Earth’s fine dust atmosphere. A blue moon is rarer when light passes through an atmosphere carrying larger dust particles,” NASA said.
Phuong Thao (Source: Daily Mail, AP)
Useful
Emotion
Creative
Unique
Wrath
Source
Comment (0)