Image: VALERIE GACHE (AFP)
A supermoon occurs when the moon comes closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit, appearing up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter, according to NASA. The average distance of the moon to earth is about 380,000 kilometers – on Thursday night it was less than 360,000 kilometers.
Supermoon and “Blue Moon” at the same time
Why the super moon was also a “blue moon” this time has nothing to do with the color of the earth’s satellite. The name comes from the English idiom “once in a blue moon” and refers to the extraordinary double occurrence of the full moon in a single month. This is rarely possible as the time between two full moons is exactly 29.5 days. Because August has 31 days and the first full moon was seen on August 1st, it could also be seen on Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning.
The event last occurred on October 31, 2020 and is not expected again until May 31, 2026. It can take up to 20 years for a super blue moon to appear again, i.e. both phenomena to be seen at the same time, but the average is 10 years.
Source: Nachrichten
