Stargazers will soon enjoy a once-in-a-Blue-Moon experience when they get to see a super Blue Moon.
The moon will appear full for three days, from Sunday morning through early Wednesday morning, with its fullness peaking at 1:26 p.m. Monday, according to NASA.
Of course, people in Kansas won’t be able to see the full moon at its peak.
What is a ‘super moon’?
The upcoming full moon will be a “super moon,” which is bigger and brighter than usual.
Super moons occur about three to four times a year, according to NASA.
“This will be the first of four consecutive super moons this year (with the full moons in September and October virtually tied for the closest of the year),” NASA’s website said.
Super moons occur when the moon is at or near its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit. That position is known as its “perigee.”
At its perigee, the moon appears up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than when it is at its farthest point from Earth, which is called its “apogee.”
What is a ‘Blue Moon’?
The upcoming full moon won’t actually be colored blue. The term “Blue Moon” typically refers to occasions when two full moons occur in one month. That last happened in August 2023.
But the term also refers to “seasonal” Blue Moons, which are more rare and occur when four full moons occur between the annual solstice and equinox. The third of those is known as a seasonal Blue Moon.
This year’s summer solstice was June 20 and the fall equinox will be Sept. 22. This year’s other full moons between those two dates occur on June 21, July 21 and Sept. 17, according to space.com.
The last seasonal blue moon was in August 2021 and the next will be in May 2027, according to earthsky.org.
If the moon doesn’t look blue, why is it called a ‘Blue Moon’?
The first recorded English language use of the term “Blue Moon” dates from 1528, according to NASA’s website.
“Speculations on the origin of the term include an old English phrase that means “betrayer moon” (because it led to mistakes in setting the dates for Lent and Easter),” it said. “Or it may be a comparison to rare events such as when dust in the atmosphere makes the moon actually appear blue.”
Why is this month’s full moon called a ‘Sturgeon Moon’?
Various cultures have historically given unique names to full moons that occur in specific months of the year.
“Sturgeon Moon” is one such nickname for the August full moon, according to the Farmers Almanac.
That moon got that nickname because the lake sturgeon, a freshwater fish that was once a critical part of their diet for Native Americans and settlers in the Great Lakes region and surrounding areas, became particularly abundant and easy to catch in August, the Farmers Almanac said.
“Today, lake sturgeon are more rare than in centuries past, but the “Sturgeon Moon” association remains,” it said.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
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