According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a supermoon occurs when the moon is full and at its closest point to Earth in its orbit – about 357,344 km away. This phenomenon usually occurs once every 3-4 years. However, if it occurs twice in a month, the second supermoon will be called a “super blue moon”.
This supermoon will be accompanied by the presence of Saturn. Saturn will appear as a bright point of light just 5 degrees above and to the right of the moon. However, actually seeing the planet may be difficult due to the bright light from the moon.
The next super blue moon won't appear for another 14 years. (Illustration: Space.com)
Not only is it brighter, but the supermoon is also 14% larger than a regular moon.
This week's super blue moon will be an extremely rare sight. According to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, the phenomenon won't be seen again until 2037.
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, the term “blue moon” originates from a 16th-century idiom, which refers to something that never or rarely happens.
(Source: Tin Tuc Newspaper)
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