A rare ‘blue’ supermoon is happening this week!
Whether you’re an avid stargazer or a budding astrologer, we’ve had a banner month for astrological phenomena in Western Australia.
Earlier this month we were treated to a spectacular Sturgeon Moon, when it was at its closest proximity to earth at 2.30am on Wednesday 2 August.
And this week we’ll be treated to another special lunar experience with a rare blue moon – here’s a few things to know:
When can you see the blue supermoon?
Technically the blue moon will be occurring on August 31 at 9:35AM when it will be 357,344km from earth, which is obviously when the sun is actually up.
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So the best time for us to see it will actually be Wednesday night at dusk, just as the moon is on its way up, creating the optical illusion that the moon looks bigger than it really is.
According to the Perth Observatory, Thursday night will also offer some great views.
While it’s known as a blue moon, unfortunately it won’t have a blue hue – the term traditionally refers to an additional 13th full moon in a year that normally has 12.
What is a supermoon?
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with when its orbit is closest to earth, and appears approximately 14% larger and up to 30% brighter than an ordinary full moon.
When can we see the next supermoon?
If you miss this week’s supermoon mark September 29 in your diary, as that will be the fourth and final supermoon we’ll be able to see in 2023.