Two supermoons in the same month will occur on the night of August 1st and early morning of August 2nd and early morning of August 31st.
Astronomy enthusiasts will have the opportunity to admire two full moons in August and the interesting thing is that they are both supermoons, Mr. Dang Vu Tuan Son, Chairman of the Vietnam Astronomy and Cosmology Association (VACA) shared with VnExpress. The supermoon will look bigger and brighter because it is closer to Earth than usual (the average distance between Earth and the Moon is 384,400 km).
The first supermoon occurred on the night of August 1 to the morning of August 2, a special event for observers because the Moon was only 357,530 km away from Earth. The second full moon of the month on August 31, called the Blue Moon, was 357,344 km away.
Mr. Son explained that because the Moon moves around the Earth in an elliptical orbit, there are times when it is closer to the Earth than at other times. The point closest to the Earth on that path is called the perigee. When the Moon passes this point around the time of a full moon, the event is called a supermoon.
"On such nights, we see the full moon slightly larger and brighter than usual, about 15%," he added. This brightness is enough to make the moon appear brighter and larger than normal full moon nights, but it will not make a noticeable difference if viewing conditions are not favorable (when the sky is cloudy or the sky is too polluted).
The supermoon rises over the hills south of Eugene, Oregon on July 2, the first supermoon of 2023. Photo: Chris Pietsch/USA Today Network
In Vietnam, observing this event is exactly the same as for a normal Full Moon, that is, only needing a little cloud cover, enough to see the Moon. Observers also do not need to prepare any eye protection when observing.
Regarding the occurrence of two consecutive full moons in the same month, Mr. Son commented that it is "not too rare". According to the lunar cycle (the period between two consecutive full moons) is 29.53 days, while the solar month usually has 30 or 31 days, making it possible for two full moons to fall at both the beginning and the end of the solar month. According to the cultural beliefs of some Western countries, the second full moon in the same month is called a Blue Moon.
He emphasized that this is actually just a cultural name, the Moon is never blue but is called the Blue Moon of the month. On average, there is one Blue Moon every year according to this calculation. However, it is quite rare to have two Blue Moons in the same year. The last time a Blue Moon occurred in the same year was in January and March 2018 and the next will be in January and March 2037.
Supermoon of July. Photo: Giang Huy
The full moon in August is called the Sturgeon Moon by Americans because this is the time when sturgeon are most abundant in the Great Lakes of North America. This is the largest freshwater fish on the continent, which can grow to over 2 meters long and weigh up to 90 kg. In addition, this phenomenon has a number of other names, but they only reflect the culture or natural characteristics of each region, not any characteristics of the Moon that we observe. The Moon is always whitish in color when it appears in the sky and turns more orange or red when it is near the horizon.
The 2023 supermoons will occur four times in a row in July, August, and September. On the last supermoon of 2023 on September 28, the Moon will fly 361,552 km from Earth. In 2024, there will be only two supermoons, on September 18 and October 18.
Nhu Quynh
Vnexpress.net
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