How to see this month’s rare supermoon from San Diego County

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Stargazers will be in for a treat Monday night as the first of four consecutive supermoons — a rare Blue Super Moon — is set to grace the nighttime skies.

Over the course of the next four month’s lunar cycles, the moon will near its perigee, or the point in orbit where it gets closest to the Earth, during a full moon.

While it is not an official astronomical term, according to NASA , the term “supermoon” comes from the visual effect it has, making the moon look slightly bigger and brighter than normal. The positioning could also lead to other impacts like higher tides.

Supermoons themselves are not quite rare, happening at least three or four times a year. However, experts say this event in particular will be rather unique as it is also a Blue Moon, or a moon that is either the second full moon in a month or the third of four in a season.

Unlike what the name suggests, Blue Moons do not have anything to do with the moon appearing to be more blue.

After this month, the next Blue Moon will not be until May 2026, according to TimeandDate.com. Meanwhile, the next Blue Super Moon will likely not occur until sometime in the early months of 2037, according to a NASA.

For astronomy enthusiasts who want to catch a glimpse of this supermoon, experts say the best time to see the moon will be around Monday evening around midnight, although its peak will be during the day at 2:26 p.m.

To best observe the differences with this moon, use of binoculars or a telescope in a dark place is encouraged by NASA. The agency says it may be hard to detect these changes with the naked eye, especially when city lights may obfuscate the changes.

In San Diego County, heading east towards Julian or Borrego Springs could be a good site for those who want this extra bit of darkness for their view of the moon, as both are designated Dark Sky Places by the environmental nonprofit, DarkSky International.

Stargazers who miss this month’s supermoon won’t have to wait long until the next one.

A supermoon on Sept. 18 will follow up Monday’s display. This one will also be extra special as it coincides with a partial lunar eclipse.

The partial eclipse will be followed up by a third supermoon on Oct. 17. According to NASA , the September and October supermoons will be “virtually tied for the closest of the year,” meaning they will both be considered the brightest of the year.

The fourth and final supermoon of the year will fall less than a month later, on Nov. 15.

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