Don't miss tonight's supermoon blue moon: What to know about this rare event you won't see again until 2037 (2024)

Dani Medina

·5 min read

We'll catch a glimpse of the rare supermoon blue moon on Monday night. Here's what you need to know about the phenomenon:

When will the super blue moon happen?

The full moon, a supermoon blue moon, will be visible for a few days, starting Sunday (Aug. 18) morning through early Wednesday (Aug. 21), according to NASA.

Don't miss tonight's supermoon blue moon: What to know about this rare event you won't see again until 2037 (1)

What time is the super blue moon?

The supermoon blue moon will be fully illuminated at 2:26 p.m. on Monday.

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What is a blue moon?

Full moons that we see twice in one month are given the term "blue moon," according to NASA. Additionally, it's the third full moon in a season with four full moons – or the second full moon in one calendar month – so it's called a blue moon.

"The period from one full moon to another is about 29 1/2 days, so when two occur in the same month, the first of these full moons is always on the first or second day of the month," according to Brittanica. "February, which has only 28 days (29 days in leap years), can never have a blue moon. Months with 31 days—January, March, May, July, August, October, and December—have a much better chance of hosting a blue moon because of their length."

It should also be noted that it's called a "super" moon because the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, known as the perigee, according to FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Brooks Garner.

A blue moon is also known as the Sturgeon Moon, according to NASA.

Don't miss tonight's supermoon blue moon: What to know about this rare event you won't see again until 2037 (3)

Is a blue moon actually blue?

No, the moon won't actually appear blue. A blue moon is a term for the third full moon in a season with four full moons.

The term "blue moon" dates back to the 1500s.

"Speculations on the origin of the term include an old English phrase that means ‘betrayer Moon’ (because it led to mistakes in setting the dates for Lent and Easter). Or it may be a comparison to rare events such as when dust in the atmosphere makes the Moon actually appear blue," according to NASA. "Since the 1940s the term ‘Blue Moon' has also been used for the second full Moon in a month that has two full Moons."

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Why is the moon so bright?

The moon will appear to be bigger and brighter than other full moons in a year thanks to its position closest to Earth in its annual orbital plane, according to FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Brooks Garner. The moon will look up to 15% brighter and 8% larger than usual.

Don't miss tonight's supermoon blue moon: What to know about this rare event you won't see again until 2037 (4)

What does the super blue moon mean spiritually?

According to Spirituality & Health magazine, a blue moon "offers an opportunity for contemplation, completion, and tapping into divine femininity." Here's what the publication said about the blue moon:

  • Since blue moons typically happen at the end of a month, your focus should be on releasing, letting go and shifting into the next phase of your life

  • Prioritize what you need in order to let go as this is the time to "step through the portal between these two full moons into the next phase of your life"

  • Blue moon represents the 13th moon within a calendar year

  • The number 13 is associated with the Goddess and feminine energy because a menstrual cycle aligns more closely with a moon cycle than a calendar month

  • People of any gender can connect to the feminine, Goddess aspect of themselves by tapping into their powerful, playful and sometimes dark energy

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Don't miss tonight's supermoon blue moon: What to know about this rare event you won't see again until 2037 (5)

Super blue moon rituals

According to NASA, this full moon aligns with the Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi Purnima. It celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters.

"One of the traditions is for sisters of all ages to tie a rakhi (a cotton bracelet) around their brother's wrist, receiving a gift from the brother in return as a sign of the continuing bond between them. The term ‘Raksha Bandhan’ translates as ‘the bond of protection, obligation, or care,’" NASA said.

Additionally, "suitably celebratory celestial attire" is encouraged to honor the full moon.

Don't miss tonight's supermoon blue moon: What to know about this rare event you won't see again until 2037 (6)

Full moon calendar 2024

Here's a look at the remaining full moons of 2024, according to Space.com:

  • Sept. 17: Harvest Moon

  • Oct. 17: Hunter's Moon

  • Nov. 15: Beaver Moon

  • Dec. 15: Cold Moon

How often do blue moons occur?

Blue moons happen about once every 33 months/full moons, 41 times per century, or about seven times every 19 years, according to Brittanica.

Don't miss tonight's supermoon blue moon: What to know about this rare event you won't see again until 2037 (7)

The next supermoon blue moon will happen on Jan. 31, 2037, 12 years from now.

Don't miss tonight's supermoon blue moon: What to know about this rare event you won't see again until 2037 (2024)

FAQs

What is the rarest moon event? ›

Can the moon ever turn blue? Yes! But this is an extremely rare event, you could even say it happens "once in a Blue Moon". According to NASA in 1883 an Indonesian volcano called Krakatoa erupted and spread ash as high as 50 miles (80 kilometers) into the atmosphere.

When to see the blue moon? ›

The next seasonal Blue Moon takes place on August 19, 2024. The next monthly Blue Moon is on May 31, 2026.

What is the rarest thing that happened to the moon? ›

Blue supermoon

Supermoons typically occur three to four times a year. The moon is usually full once during its 29.5-day phase cycle, meaning there are 12 full moons every 354 days. Because this doesn't align with our 365-day calendar year, there is a full moon twice in the same month, roughly every 2.5 years.

What is the rarest moon to have? ›

In either case, blue moons earn their reputation for being rare because of a quirk in the typical rhythm of one full moon per month. The moon's cycle takes 29.5 days. But, as Missouri State University professor of astrophysics Mike Reed notes, months can have 28, 29, 30 or 31 days.

What is the rarest moon of 2024? ›

A rare super blue moon will light up the sky on Monday, Aug. 19. It's a rarity of sorts, according to NASA, since the celestial event will showcase a supermoon and a blue moon.

What rare celestial events happened in 2024? ›

September 17-18, 2024: Partial Lunar Eclipse

This particular event will be unusual because only 9% of the Moon will be covered by a small black bite of Earth's shadow. The Moon passes through the umbra, or the darkest part of Earth's shadow cast by the Sun. Look for it at 10:44 PM EDT or 7:44 Pacific Daylight Time.

Why is no one going to the Moon anymore? ›

Yes, the Apollo missions were enormously successful — and enormously expensive. At its peak, NASA was consuming around 5% of the entire federal budget, and more than half of that was devoted to the Apollo program. Accounting for inflation, the entire Apollo program would cost over $260 billion in today's dollars.

How rare is a super blue blood moon? ›

Blue moons are rarer, only occurring every 2.5 to three years. But having both a supermoon and a blue only happens once every 10 to 20 years. If you miss Wednesday's, or you get “weathered out” as astronomers sometimes say, you will have to wait until 2037 to see the next one!

What is Black Moon? ›

A Black Moon is not an official astronomical term but there are two common definitions for the term according to Time and Date: The second new moon in a single calendar month. The third new moon in a season of four new moons.

Which is the rarest moon color? ›

In very rare circumstances, the Moon can appear blue, but in this case the colour would be caused by viewing the Moon through a haze of dust particles in our atmosphere, perhaps from a recent volcanic eruption.

How rare is a black moon? ›

Third New Moon in a season of four New Moons: These Black Moons are a little rarer, and occur about once every 33 months. We divide a year into four seasons—spring, summer, fall (autumn), and winter. Usually, each season has three months and three New Moons.

Which moon is very rare? ›

Rather, a blue moon is special because it is the "extra" Moon in a season with four full moons. This usually only happens every two-and-a-half years. Since the 1940s, the term "blue moon" has also been used for the second full moon in a calendar month. This usually happens only every two-and-a-half years.

What is the most unusual moon? ›

Titan. Saturn's largest moon Titan is unique in the solar system as the only satellite with a substantial atmosphere of its own—a discovery that frustrated NASA scientists when images from the Voyager probes revealed only a hazy orange ball.

How rare is moon Rainbow? ›

Lunar rainbows – moonbows – occur less than 10 percent as often as normal rainbows. Moonbows need a few additional conditions to form, which is why they're so rare. Although well known, rainbows themselves are not common – most places see fewer than six in a year.

What is the biggest moon event? ›

The most recent full supermoon occurred on August 19, 2024, and the next one will be on September 17, 2024. The supermoon of November 14, 2016, was the closest full occurrence since January 26, 1948, and will not be surpassed until November 25, 2034.

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