Astrophiles are being encouraged to look outside tomorrow night (August 19) as an extremely rare Blue Super Moon is set to shine over the UK.
The rare phenomenon occurs when a Super Moon and a Blue Moon combine on one night. The phrase Blue Moon was first created in 1979, as an astrologer named Richard Nolle observed it.
According to NASA, “either a new or full moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth,” creates the spectacle. Super moons are the brightest and biggest of the year, around 30% brighter and 14% bigger than a normal moon.
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Moon watchers are in for a treat, however, with this being the first of four super moons expected this year. The others will take place September 17, October 17 and November 15. The closest super moon to earth will be October’s Hunter’s Moon on October 17, which will be noticeably larger than the others.
(Image: Getty Images)
However, while the super moon will be large in the sky, astronomers warn that the blue moon might not be what the public will expect. There are two types of blue moon in science and neither have anything to do with the colour.
One type of blue moon simply refers to the third full moon in a season that has four full moons. This is the type expected to be in our skies on Monday.
While the moon will look bigger and brighter, it will not change colour. The definition of a second type of blue moon came from a misunderstanding and simply refers to the second full moon in one singular calendar month.
(Image: Boston Globe via Getty Images)
To see the spectacle, viewers don’t have to do much apart from go outside. The moon is expected to start rising around 6:30pm, but will be more visible a couple hours on.
Luckily, viewers can also get a glimpse of the phenomenon tonight, August 18, and the night after the super moon, August 20. The huge moon will be near-to-full for the nights surrounding Monday.
Super moons only occur three to four times a month, and always appear to happen in consecutive months. Luckily as we head into autumn, these are to be expected more often.
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