Once in a blue moon, we are fortunate enough to experience two full moons in one month.
The full Sturgeon Moon rose on Tuesday, August 1st and on Wednesday, August 30th, a second full moon made a rare appearance, rising just 357,344 kilometres away from the Earth, making it appear bigger and brighter.
However, this wasn't just your typical full moon, rather it was a "blue moon." Interestingly, the term blue moon actually has nothing to do with colour, but since the 1940s, it has commonly referred to the second of two full moons that fall in a calendar month; thus, Wednesday's full moon is defined as a blue moon because it is the second full moon of August.
The super blue moon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth, known as the perigee. This results in a larger and brighter moon that graces our night sky. How rare is it, you ask, the next one is expected to occur in 2037.
In case you missed last evening's super blue moon, here are some great photos of the spectacle across Canada.
Super Blue Moon... rising over Ottawa, Canada. pic.twitter.com/HtdR8Vqsja
— THOTH 🍁✖️ (@JLSwordsmith) August 31, 2023
August Super Blue Moon-Toronto Canada pic.twitter.com/PQHefNzbCB
— Shirley Goldstein (@ShirleyGoldste9) August 31, 2023
