A very rare full moon will appear at the end of August.
On Aug. 31, stargazers will see a blue supermoon which won’t be seen again for another nine years.
Blue moons are generally the second full moon in a month. The old saying “once in a blue moon”, meaning something that rarely happens, is a misnomer. Blue moons aren’t overly rare as they take place about every two and a half years and aren’t necessarily blue in colour. The saying is more literal as in a blue-coloured moon. Blue-coloured moons are very rare.
According to Encyclopedia Brittanica, the name blue moon dates back to 1883 when the Krakatoa volcano erupted in Indonesia. People reported seeing moons that appeared blue over a two-year time period.
Blue supermoons, on the other hand, are rare.
A supermoon is when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit. According to the Old Farmers’ Almanac, the moon will appear eight per cent bigger and 16 per cent brighter during this time. There are usually three or four supermoons in a year.
A blue supermoon would be the second supermoon in one month. We experienced a supermoon on Aug. 1 which is known as the Sturgeon Moon or Harvest Moon.
The next blue moon is expected to take place in 2026, while we won’t see another blue supermoon.
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