Rare blue supermoon rises tonight — get ready Utah
Aug 30, 2023, 5:20 PM | Updated: 5:30 pm
The supermoon rises behind the ancient temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. The cosmic curtain rose Wednesday night with the second full moon of the month, the reason it is considered blue. It's dubbed a supermoon because it's closer to Earth than usual, appearing especially big and bright. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
NOTE: The blue supermoon has already risen for much of the world including in the Greece photo featured in this story. In Utah, look for the moon to rise at approximately 8:20 p.m., but a viewers’ proximity to mountains can mean the time of visibility can vary.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Stargazers are in for a double treat this week: a rare blue supermoon with Saturn peeking from behind.
The cosmic curtain rises Wednesday night with the second full moon of the month, the reason it’s considered blue. It’s dubbed a supermoon because it’s closer to Earth than usual, appearing especially big and bright.
Smoke is impacting northern Utah today from wildfires in neighboring states. It is expected to last through tomorrow once the cold front arrives. For sensitive populations, please use caution and limit your time spent outside. pic.twitter.com/x1YZOAzAIm
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) August 30, 2023
This will be the closest full moon of the year, just 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) or so away. That’s more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) closer than the Aug. 1 supermoon.
Blue supermoon: World gazes at rare lunar phenomenon https://t.co/U78DgtThwG
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 30, 2023
As a bonus, Saturn will be visible as a bright point 5 degrees to the upper right of the moon at sunset in the east-southeastern sky, according to NASA. The ringed planet will appear to circle clockwise around the moon as the night wears on.
If you missed the month’s first spectacle, better catch this one. There won’t be another blue supermoon until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
Clouds spoiled Masi’s attempt to livestream the supermoon rising earlier this month. He’s hoping for clearer skies this time so he can capture the blue supermoon shining above St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
Tonight there will be a Blue Supermoon at 9:35 ET
The moon will appear about 8% larger than a normal full moon and 15% brighter than a normal full moon.
The next one won’t be until January 2037. Keep any eye out tonight! pic.twitter.com/oHU6LpsjX5
— Space (@redditSpaceView) August 30, 2023
Weather permitting, observers don’t need binoculars or telescopes — “just their own eyes.” said Masi.
“I’m always excited to admire the beauty of the night sky,” he said, especially when it features a blue supermoon.
The first supermoon of 2023 was in July. The fourth and last will be in September.
“Once In A Blue Moon”
An airplane flies by a “super blue moon” over New Delhi, India on August 30, 2023.#SuperBlueMoon #supermoon #BlueMoon pic.twitter.com/biLYD191yy
— Pankaj dixit (@pankaj_dixit08) August 30, 2023
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
