On Wednesday night, a rare blue moon – the year’s closest full moon dazzled stargazers worldwide.
A supermoon is a full moon closer to the Earth than usual. That makes it appear slightly brighter and more prominent in the sky. It was the second full moon of August; thus, the blue label – “blue moon”- is applied when a full moon is seen twice a month.
Saturn joined the celestial spectacle, visible alongside the moon, at least where the skies were clear.
The last time two full supermoons were seen in the same month was in 2018.
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The next blue moon is not until 2037, but another regular supermoon is on the horizon at the end of September and will be the last one this year.
Here are some additional details about the blue supermoon:
The moon was about 14% larger and 30% brighter than a typical full moon.
The moon was closest to Earth at about 222,043 miles, about 25,000 miles closer than its average distance.
The blue supermoon was visible from all parts of the world.
