The Philadelphia night sky will shine brighter Wednesday night as the second full moon of the month -a rare super blue moon- will rise. Although this is the third super moon of the year, it’s the first blue moon since Jan 31, 2018.
What Is A Super Blue Moon?
According to Earth.com, Astrologer Richard Nolle coined the term “supermoon” in 1979. He described it as “a new or full moon which occurs with the Moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit (perigee).”
A blue moon is the term used to describe the second full moon in a month. The moon’s cycle is 29 and a half days, so every two-to-three years there is a blue moon where there’s a full moon at the very beginning and end of a single month.
We’ve all heard the idiom “once in a blue moon” without knowing just how rare they actually are.
While 25% of full moons are super moons, according to NASA, just 3% of full moons are blue moons.
Don’t Miss It
For those of you who may have missed the glory of the last two super moons, you don’t want to miss this! Luckily, you won’t need a fancy telescope or even a designated viewing area. The blue moon will be visible any where you are in the city as long as the skies are clear.
No, the moon itself will not be the color blue. While a super blue moon isn’t actually blue, it is quite bright. Compared to normal full moons, they are 16% brighter and 14% bigger.
According to Time and Date, the blue moon will rise 7:48pm.
This magical occurrence takes place on the night of Aug. 30-31, beginning on Wednesday night and lasting until the early hours of Thursday morning.
The next super moon is set to occur September 29 while the next blue moon won’t occur until 2037.