The first of four lunar spectacles this year was a supermoon that rose on Monday and remained full until the early hours of Wednesday morning.
A supermoon is when the full moon comes closer to Earth than usual. A supermoon is not larger, but it can appear brighter in the night sky, although scientists say the difference may be barely noticeable.
The term “supermoon” was coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle to refer to either the new or full moon that occurs when the moon approaches 90% of its closest approach to Earth, wrote NASA’s Gordon Johnston.
“Since we don’t actually see new moons, full moons have captured the public’s attention as they are the largest and brightest full moons of the year,” Johnston wrote. “This will be the first of four consecutive supermoons this year (with the full moons in September and October practically tied for closest of the year).”
September’s supermoon will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. October’s supermoon will be the closest lunar eclipse of the year, and November’s moon will round out the year, the Associated Press reported.
“I like to think of the supermoon as a good excuse to look at the moon more regularly,” Noah Petro, project scientist for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, told AP. “Unless you’ve looked at a lot of full moons or compared them in pictures, it’s hard to tell the difference, but you should try.”
Although it didn’t look blue, Monday’s supermoon was also a blue moon, earning it the name “Super Blue Moon.”
A blue moon is the third of four full moons in a season, according to NASA in a Q&A on Super Blue Moons. Seasonal blue moons occur when four full moons occur in a single season (spring, summer, fall and winter) instead of the usual three. The fourth full moon this summer will be on September 17.
According to NASA, the time span between super blue moons is generally about 10 years. There can be up to 20 years between unusual events. The next super blue moons are predicted for January and March 2037.
Here are some of the best photos of this week’s super blue moon from around the world.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
