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August started with a bright supermoon and ends the same way this week with another supermoon lighting up the night sky. The ringed planet Saturn will also appear at its brightest this year near the Moon.
The full moon will reach its peak at 9:36pm ET on the night of August 30th, but will remain full until Friday morning, according to the Sun. NASA.
At the end of twilight on Wednesday, around 8:42 PM ET, Saturn’s bright glow will appear about 5 degrees to the upper right of the Moon. According to NASA, Saturn will appear to be moving clockwise around the moon into the evening. According to , at their closest approach, the two would appear about four full moons wide. earth sky.
Saturn reached opposition on August 27th, when the Earth moved between Saturn and the Sun. This means that the ringed planet is closest to Earth in its orbit and therefore visible in the night sky.
According to EarthSky, both full moons in August are considered supermoons. Definitions of a supermoon vary, but the term generally refers to a full moon that is closer to Earth than normal and therefore appears larger and brighter in the night sky. The moon is 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) from Earth, 18,000 miles (28,968 kilometers) closer than the average distance.
Some astronomers argue that this phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of its perigee, or point of closest approach to Earth in its orbit.
The supermoon could play a role in increasing tidal forces and worsening storm surge in Hurricane Idalia, which is expected to make landfall Wednesday morning. Because this supermoon is closer to Earth, its gravity will have an even stronger effect on the oceans.
This could cause high tides to rise by about a foot, said Jamie Rome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center.
According to NASA, the second full moon in a month is also known as a blue moon, as in the phrase “Once in a Blue Moon.” Just don’t expect it to be a blue tint.
A full moon typically occurs every 29 days, but most calendar months last 30 or 31 days, so the phases of the moon don’t always coincide. As a result, a blue moon occurs approximately every 2.5 years, with the last blue moon occurring in August 2021.
The second full moon in August also marks the day of Raksha Bandhan, a Hindu festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters.
full moon and supermoon
The fourth and final supermoon of 2023 will rise on September 29th.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the full moons remaining in 2023 are:
●September 29th: Harvest Moon
●October 28: Hunter’s Moon
●November 27th: Beaver Moon
●December 26th: Cold Moon
lunar and solar eclipse
People in North America, Central and South America will be able to see an annular solar eclipse. During a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and Earth at or near its farthest point from Earth. The moon appears smaller than the sun and is surrounded by a glowing halo.
Observers should wear eclipse glasses to avoid eye damage when viewing the phenomenon.
A partial lunar eclipse will also occur on October 28th. Because the Sun, Earth, and Moon do not line up perfectly in a straight line, only part of the Moon is in the shadow. This partial solar eclipse will be visible across Europe, Asia, Australia, parts of North America, and much of South Africa.
All of the remaining meteor showers expected to peak this year will be best visible from dusk to dawn in areas without light pollution. Peak days for events are:
● Orionid meteor shower: October 20th to 21st
●Southern Taurus: November 4th to 5th
● Northern Taurus: November 11th to 12th
●Leonid meteor shower: November 17th to 18th
● Geminid meteor shower: December 13th to 14th
● Urinidae: December 21st-22nd