Supermoons Rising

(SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.) — Night sky watchers are in for another treat this fall as the super moons begin to appear this week.

From Live Storm Chasers

4 Consecutive Supermoons start THIS Monday Night!🌕

Monday, August 19 supermoon will be the first of four this year, with the others occurring on Sept. 17, Oct. 17 and Nov. 15. The closest supermoon will be October’s Hunter’s Moon on Oct. 17.

There are two types of “Blue Moon,” but neither has anything to do with the color. A seasonal Blue Moon refers to the third full moon in a season that has four full moons. This is the traditional definition of a Blue Moon and the type we will see rise on Aug. 19.

The second type of Blue Moon — which arose from a misunderstanding of the original definition — simply refers to the second full moon in a single calendar month.

Seasonal blue moons are rare enough. The next one won’t happen until May 2027. But how rare is a super/blue combination?

Well, a blue moon happens once every two or three years on average, but a blue moon that’s also a supermoon is even more uncommon. The time between super blue moons can be as much as 20 years ― but in general, 10 years is the average.

According to NASA, the next super blue moon pairing will be January and March 2037.

What is a Supermoon?

A supermoon occurs when a full moon aligns with the point in its orbit closest to Earth, known as perigee. Perigee is the point in the moon’s elliptical orbit where it is nearest to Earth. This proximity makes the moon appear significantly larger and brighter — up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than a typical “normal” full moon. The increased size and brilliance create a truly breathtaking celestial display.

So be sure to dust off your cameras, charge those batteries and we look forward to seeing your photos!