Astronomy enthusiasts are in for a treat Wednesday night: a rare “super blue Moon” that won’t be seen again for more than a decade.
Supermoons occur when the Moon passes through its perigee, or the point that takes it closest to Earth during its elliptical orbit. This makes it look about 14 percent bigger compared to when it is at its furthest point, and a touch brighter.
Full Moons are defined by the exact moment they are opposite the Sun, which will occur at 9:36 pm Eastern Time on August 30 (0136 GMT Thursday), according to NASA.
The previous super blue Moon occurred in December 2009, with the next set to come in quick succession: January and March of 2037.
The origins of the English expression “once in a blue Moon,” today understood to mean something that is very rare, go back hundreds of years. In Elizabethan times, “he would argue the Moon was blue” could be said about a person making outlandish or patently absurd claims.
Go outside tonight.. bare feet in the late summer grass.. and take it all in. Who knows if we will even be here by 2037!
