Super blue moon in time lapse from Oregon
Clouds obscured the moonrise for about half an hour, but patience was rewarded. Super blue moon over Fern Ridge Reservoir near Eugene on August 19, 2024.
Celestial events happen once in a blue moon, and on Monday a super blue moon lit up the night sky, giving people a glimpse of this rare spectacle.
The August full moon also has several different names: supermoon, blue moon, and sturgeon moon. The “super” part refers to the moon’s orbit, which brings it a little closer to Earth this month, making it appear larger and brighter. The “blue” part means that this is the third of four full moons this season, an unusual occurrence. “Sturgeon” refers to the Native American name for the August full moon.
If you weren’t able to witness this rare event, here are some supermoon highlights from around the world.
Rare super blue moon seen from Texas
Supermoon at the Statue of Liberty in New York City
See the supermoon from Istanbul
Time lapse shows the rise of the supermoon in California
Supermoon seen from the UK
Breathtaking views of the supermoon from China
Where does the term “supermoon” come from?
The term “supermoon” was coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle to describe a new or full moon that is 90% closer to Earth in its orbit.
According to NASA, there is a supermoon about three to four times a year.
What is a blue moon?
There are two types of blue moons: seasonal and monthly. This one is of the seasonal variety. That means that if there are four full moons in a season (in this case, summer), the third of the four is considered a blue moon.
The second definition − which arose from a misunderstanding of the original definition − is the monthly blue moon, which refers to the second full moon in a calendar month.
What is the Sturgeon Moon?
Naming moons was a way for Native Americans to track the seasons and plan their activities. “The full moon in August was traditionally called the Sturgeon Moon because the giant sturgeons of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most easily caught during this time of summer,” says the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Will there be more full moons in 2024?
There are four more full moons to be observed this year. Here are the dates and names of these moons:
- September 17: Harvest Moon
- October 17: Hunter’s Moon (Supermoon)
- November 15: Beaver Moon (Supermoon)
- December 15: Cold Moon
