Stargazers will soon experience a once-in-a-lifetime blue moon experience when they see a super blue moon.
The moon will be full for three days from Sunday morning to early Wednesday morning, reaching fullness Monday at 1:26 p.m. According to NASA.
Of course, people in Kansas can’t see the full moon at its peak.
What is a ‘Super Moon’?
The upcoming full moon will be a “super moon,” which will be bigger and brighter than usual.
According to NASA, supermoons occur three to four times a year.
“This is the first of four supermoons in a row this year (full moons in September and October are tied for the closest of the year),” According to NASA’s website.
Supermoons occur when the Moon is closest to or closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit. That stage is called its “perigee”.
At its perigee, the Moon appears 14% larger and 30% brighter than at its farthest point from Earth, which is called its “apogee”.
What is a ‘Blue Moon’?
The upcoming full moon won’t actually be blue. The term “blue moon” usually refers to the occurrence of two full moons in one month. This last happened in August 2023.
But the term also refers to “seasonal” blue moons, which are extremely rare and occur when four full moons occur between the annual solstice and the equinox. The third of them is called the seasonal blue moon.
This year’s summer solstice falls on June 20 and autumnal equinox falls on September 22. Between those two dates the other full moons of the year occur on June 21, July 21 and September 17. space.com.
The last seasonal blue moon was in August 2021, and the next will be in May 2027. earthsky.org.
If the moon doesn’t look blue, why is it called a ‘blue moon’?
The first recorded English language use of the term “blue moon” dates back to 1528. NASA website.
“Conjectures about the origin of the word include an Old English phrase meaning “traitor moon” (because it led to errors in setting the dates of Lent and Easter),” it said. “Or compare it to rare cases where dust in the atmosphere makes the moon actually appear blue.”
Why is this month’s full moon called ‘sturgeon moon’?
Different cultures have historically given unique names to full moons that occur during specific months of the year.
“Sturgeon Moon” is a nickname for the August full moon Farmers Almanac.
The moon got its nickname because lake sturgeon, a freshwater fish that was once a staple of the diet of Native Americans and settlers in and around the Great Lakes region, became especially plentiful and easy to catch in August, Farmers Almanac reported. .
“Today, lake sturgeon are much rarer than in past centuries, but the association of the “sturgeon moon” remains,” it said.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at [email protected] or 785-213-5934.
