Rare Full Blue Moon of August: Get ready for 4 Supermoons in a Row!

First Supermoon of the year is a Blue Moon (though technically may not appear blue)Photo byJami Lynn Bloedow (Author)

August 19th at 2:26 Eastern Time, this months full moon will rise. It is our first Supermoon of the year and the first of four consecutive Supermoons! This months full moon is known as the Blue Moon or Sturgeon Moon. It will appear larger than a regular full moon as it is a Supermoon! The moon will be closer to Earth than in previous months, giving us a beautiful view of a larger appearing moon. The Blue moon and Supermoon occurring on the same night is rare, according to NASA it only occurs every ten to twenty years.

Supermoon risingPhoto byJami Lynn (Author)

This is the first of four consecutive Supermoons this year. The September and October Supermoons will be the closest the moon will orbit to Earth this year, so they will appear even more prominent than this month's Blue Moon.

Photo byJami Lynn (Author)

Though the moon rises during the afternoon today, the next two nights will offer good viewing of the Supermoon. There is currently a lot of cloud cover over many areas in Florida, which may limit viewing opportunities for locals. There will be several more opportunities for photographers and stargazers to be able to see a large Supermoon each month until December!

2024 Supermoon dates:

• Aug. 19th
• Sept. 18th
• Oct. 17th
• Nov. 15th

Don't miss it, this months full moon only happens once in a blue moon. We often use an old saying, “once in a blue moon” which refers to something that rarely happens or that we rarely do. Blue Moons are a rare occurrence. In literal terms, a blue moon happens once every 33 months, 41 times per century, or 7 times every 19 years. So if you’ve been putting something off that you only do “once in a blue moon”, then perhaps August 19th is that once in a blue moon you’ve been waiting for. Enjoy the beautiful night sky as it lights up with our first Supermoon of the year.