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How Often Occurs a Blue Supermoon?
The NASA report on the rarity of these blue supermoons was published at the beginning of this month. It mentions that the cosmic circumstances that give rise to such moons normally happen just once every 10 years. A blue supermoon does, on rare, appear every two decades or longer.
The second full blue supermoon of August will be the largest and brightest of this year’s four supermoons, and it will be located 222,043 miles from Earth.
The Harvest Moon, the following and last supermoon of 2023, will rise on September 29.
The celestial calendar reveals a series of spectacular phenomena that will beautify our night skies in August and September 2023 as we move from the hot days of summer to the early signs of the fall season.
Blue Supermoon, and Rakhi Purnima all fall on August 30, 2023. Sky-watchers will be treated to a celestial display on the evening of August 30, 2023. It will be a blue Supermoon when the full moon rises at 9:36 PM EDT.
A Supermoon is a stunning occurrence in which the moon, as a result of its proximity to Earth, appears larger and more luminous in the sky. The moon will become an especially brilliant and breathtaking sight as a result of this event.
Additionally, this full moon fits the contemporary definition of a “Blue Moon,” which denotes the second full moon in a calendar month. Despite the fact that this occurrence is rather infrequent, it is what gave rise to the expression “once in a blue moon,” which has nothing to do with the color of the moon.
But this is not where the relevance ends. The Hindu holiday of Raksha Bandhan, commonly referred to as Rakhi or Rakhi Purnima, falls on this full moon. The festival of Raksha Bandhan honors the special relationship between brothers and sisters. Rakhi, a beautiful thread, is customarily tied around the wrists of brothers by sisters of all ages as a sign of protection, accountability, or care. Sisters receive gifts from their brothers in exchange. It’s a lovely custom that encourages affection and solidarity among families.
This full moon designates significant moments in time in a number of lunar and lunisolar calendars. It occurs in the seventh month of the Chinese, Islamic, and Hebrew calendars (Safar, Elul, respectively).
For those of the Jewish faith, Elul serves as a time of preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the High Holy Days that are a time for self-awareness asking for forgiveness, and making resolutions for the future year.
Events in the Universe to Come Let’s now focus on some further celestial activities that will occur in the upcoming weeks:
Celestial Events Timeline:
August 30, 2023
Saturn Traveling
Saturn will be observable in the evening near the Supermoon, slowly traveling to the south as the night goes on.
September 1, 2023
Mars Leaving
Mars will be on the western horizon at twilight, indicating that it is leaving our evening sky.
September 4, 2023
September 4, 2023
Moon and Mercury Pairing
The waning crescent moon and Mercury, the innermost planet, will form an amazing celestial pairing in the early sky.
September 6, 2023
Mercury Appears
Mercury will make an inferior conjunction—a passage between Earth and the Sun—and shortly after that, it will start to appear in the morning sky.
September 14, 2023
Conjunction
On this day, when Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation from the Sun, the moon will be at its final quarter at 6:21 PM EDT, and Venus will start to become more visible in the evening sky.
September 22, 2023
Venus Glowing
The year’s brightest Venus will be seen in the morning sky, glowing brightly.
September 23, 2023
Beginning of Fall
The autumnal equinox formally marks the change from summer to fall.
Remember to stop and take in the beauty of the night sky as we say goodbye to the warm summer nights and hello to the cool fall air. The magnificence and majesty of the universe never cease to astound us, whether it is through the dazzling brilliance of a blue Supermoon or the alignment of planets. Decide on a day with the stars and mark your calendar to embark on an unforgettable cosmic adventure.
