Just when it gets dark today (August 19, 2024), that is, during the early evening hours, look up from wherever you are because the August Full Moon will be visible in the night sky and will appear as a perfect bright disk.
Before you say no to the above encouragement, the August full moon is not just a “simple” lunar phase but a supermoon.
The moon travels around the Earth in an orbit that is not completely circular, so there is a point in its orbit that is closer to the Earth and a point that is farther away.
Normally, the moon is about 384,000 kilometers away from the Earth, but it will be 23,000 kilometers closer on the evening of Monday – almost double the diameter from the Earth.
According to NASA, this “supermoon” will be up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than full moons at apogee, when the Moon is at its farthest distance.
What is the “Sturgeon Moon”
The August Full Moon is also known as the “Sturgeon Moon” or simply the “Moon of the Sturgeon.” The spectacle it offers is unique. It is the largest moon of the year and got its name from the Native Americans who fished for this specific fish, also known as sturgeon, on this particular day.
If you’re confused, scientists at the Athens Observatory Visitor Center published a fairly detailed text about the grandeur of tonight’s Supermoon:
Details from the Athens Observatory Visitor Center:
Today, August 19, 2024, we have a Full Moon! The August Full Moon of 2024 is also called a Blue Moon, without meaning that the Moon will be blue! This is the seasonal Blue Moon, the third Full Moon of an astronomical season (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) that has four Full Moons. Seasonal blue moons occur when there are four full moons in one season instead of the usual three. However, there is also another definition for the Blue Moon, the Monthly Blue Moon, which is the second Full Moon of a calendar month with two Full Moons (something that happens every 2-3 years).
Why is it called a blue moon?
The historical origin of the term and its two definitions are shrouded in some mystery and, for many, an interpretive error.
Some believe that the term “blue moon,” meaning something rare, may have originated from the case where smoke and ash from a volcanic eruption made the Moon appear blue. Others trace its origin back 400 years – folklorist Philip Hiscock has suggested that invoking a blue moon once meant that something was unreasonable and would never happen.
Today’s Full Moon is also a supermoon, the first of four consecutive supermoons of the year, at a distance of about 362,000 kilometers from the Earth. A supermoon is defined when the Moon is at 90% of its closest approach to the Earth. Otherwise, it is the Full Moon close to perigee (the closest distance of the Moon’s elliptical orbit around the Earth).
To observe it, look towards the East/Southeast starting from 20:22 and after. It will be quite low in the sky (up to 30 degrees from the horizon) throughout the night. It will set at 7:12 AM on 20/8 in the West/Southwest.