Rare blue supermoon to light up sky tonight – and ‘enhanced’ sun will make view even better if you look at right time
A RARE blue supermoon is to descend upon the skies this week, when the lunar companion will appear roughly seven times larger than usual.
Sunsets and sunrises are also set to be ‘enhanced’ alongside the supermoon tonight, due to smoke floating across the Atlantic from wildfires in North America.
The wildfire remnants made the sky look particularly red and “hazy”, according to Sky News meteorologist Kirsty McCabe.
“You might have noticed the skies have been rather hazy this weekend, thanks to the jet stream bringing smoke from North America (mainly from Canadian wildfires) all the way across the Atlantic to our shores,” she said yesterday morning.
“Luckily because the smoke particles are so high up in our atmosphere they won’t have an impact on our health, but they could enhance our sunsets and sunrises this weekend.”
The unusual hues are expected to be visible again on Monday, before they are dispersed by Hurricane Ernesto, which is currently travelling across the North Atlantic ocean.
The hurricane, while no threat to the UK, is due to bring “unseasonably wet and windy weather” next week, McCabe added.
When to watch the blue supermoon
The blue supermoon will be brightest on Monday night (19 August) and into Tuesday morning (20 August).
It will appear against the backdrop of an exaggerated red sunset.
The supermoon will appear full for three days, according to Nasa, from Sunday morning through early Wednesday morning.
What is a blue supermoon?
The moon travels around Earth with an elliptical orbit - an orbit that is oval shaped.
This means that there are points where the moon appears closer to Earth, and further away.
“Each month, the moon passes through the point closest to Earth (perigee) and the point farthest from Earth (apogee),” Nasa explains.
“When the moon is at or near its closest point to Earth at the same time as it is full, it is called a “supermoon.””
This is when the moo appears particularly large and bright.
What makes it blue is when it is the second full moon in one month.
Nasa adds: “The Moon’s cycle is 29.5 days, so just a bit shorter than the average length of a calendar month.
“Eventually that gap results in a full moon happening at the beginning of a month with enough days still remaining for another full cycle – so a second full moon in the same month.
In other words, a full moon that happens on the 1st or 2nd of a month will probably be followed by a second full moon on the 30th or 31st.”
But this only happens every two to three years.
Where to watch the blue supermoon
Typically, rural spots are better.
Making sure that your moon gazing spot has an unobstructed view of the horizon and above is helpful.
It can also be wise to avoid towering treelines or cityscapes.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t catch a glimpse of the blue supermoon in and around London.
Best locations
Lake District National Park – North West England
The Lake District, a popular UK holiday destination, flaunts mountain terrain and lakeside views.
However, it also benefits from low levels of light pollution and therefore makes an great destination to see shooting stars and supermoons – as long as the night is clear.
Exmoor National Park – South West England
Exmoor Dark Sky Reserve, the first Dark Sky Reserve in Europe, is also mostly free from light pollution.
Some say it has the darkest skies in the country, which is perfect for catching cosmic displays.
Snowdonia National Park – Wales
The Snowdonia National Park, home to the highest peak in Wales, covers roughly 18 per cent of the country’s land area.
So it’s safe to say there is minimal light pollution, and as a result, hosts some of the best stargazing spots in the UK.
Hampstead Heath and Observatory
Hampstead Heath, one of the highest points in London, is also home to one of the biggest parks in the capital.
This means the area can be a good one to escape some of the city’s light pollution and have an open view of the sky.
It’s also home to Hampstead Observatory, which is open to the public every Friday and Saturday night from mid-September to mid-April – depending on the weather.
The Moon – our closest neighbour explained
Here's what you need to know...
- The Moon is a natural satellite – a space-faring body that orbits a planet
- It’s Earth’s only natural satellite, and is the fifth biggest in the Solar System
- The Moon measures 2,158 miles across, roughly 0.27 times the diameter of Earth
- Temperatures on the Moon vary wildly. Nasa explains: “Temperatures near the Moon’s equator can spike to 250°F (121°C) in daylight, then plummet after nightfall to -208°F (-133°C). In deep craters near the Moon’s poles, permanent shadows keep the surface even colder — NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has measured temperatures lower than -410°F (-246°C).”
- Experts assumed the Moon was another planet, until Nicolaus Copernicus outlined his theory about our Solar System in 1543
- It was eventually assigned to a “class” after Galileo discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610
- The Moon is believed to have formed around 4.51billion years ago
- The strength of its gravitational field is about a sixth of Earth’s gravity
- Earth and the Moon have “synchronous rotation”, which means we always see the same side of the Moon – hence the phrase “dark side of the Moon”
- The Moon’s surface is actually dark, but appears bright in the sky due to its reflective ground
- During a solar eclipse, the Moon covers the Sun almost completely. Both objects appear a similar size in the sky because the Sun is both 400 times larger and farther
- The first spacecraft to reach the Moon was in 1959, as part of the Soviet Union’s Lunar program
- The first manned orbital mission was Nasa’s Apollo 8 in 1968
- And the first manned lunar landing was in 1969, as part of the Apollo 11 mission