INDIANA – August has two full moons this year: the Sturgeon Moon and the Blue Moon.
The first full moon of August, the Sturgeon Moon, will reach peak illumination on Tuesday, August 1 at 2:32 p.m. After sunset that evening, turn your gaze to the southeast to catch a glimpse of the rising sturgeon moon.
The Sturgeon Moon is the second supermoon of four in a row this year. A Supermoon is when the moon is closer to us in orbit, and it will appear bigger and brighter in the night sky than a regular full moon. On average, supermoons appear about 7% bigger and about 15% brighter than a typical full moon.
The sturgeon moon was named for the large fish in the Great Lakes, which were most easily caught at this time of the year.
August also will see a rare super blue moon. The last super blue moon was in December 2009. After the super blue moon of August, you’ll need to set a reminder on your calendar for the next one − August 2032, a full nine years from now.
The Blue Moon will appear at the end of the month on Wednesday, August 30, and will reach peak illumination at 9:36 p.m.
After the August super blue moon, the next time the moon will be this close to Earth will be on Nov. 5, 2025, when the moon will be “only” 221,817 miles from Earth.
The term Blue Moon is used whenever we have two full moons in one month. This is expected to be the biggest and brightest supermoon this year.
When someone uses the term “once in a blue moon,” you know they are talking about a rare event. (The color of the moon really isn’t blue, of course. A blue moon still has the same appearance as a typical monthly full moon.)
