Home UK World Business Politics

Super blue Moon: Rare

spectacle set to light up
skies
By Georgina Rannard
Science reporter

7 hours ago

GETTY IMAGES

Sky-gazers in Singapore were treated to this sight of

the super blue moon rising on Wednesday

The biggest and brightest Moon of the year will be

visible on Wednesday and Thursday from around
the world.

It will be a rare chance to see what is known as a

blue supermoon - the last one was in 2009.

A blue Moon happens when the pattern of days in a

year means there are 13 full Moons instead of the
usual 12.

If the skies are clear, the best time to see the

spectacle in the UK will be in early hours of
Thursday morning.

This blue Moon is also known as a supermoon and

will appear larger and brighter than usual. That is
because the Moon is near the closest point in its
orbit around Earth.

But anyone hoping to see the Moon tinged the

colour blue will be disappointed.

The name of the Moon has nothing to do with

colour but instead is so called because it does not
fall in the usual scheme of named Moons.

Cultures around the world including Native

American societies give names to full Moons.

A full Moon generally occurs once a month,

meaning that an average year has 12. But the
phases of the Moon actually take 29.5 days to
complete, or 354 days for 12 cycles.

That falls short of the 365/366 days in a calendar

year, so roughly every two and half years, a 13th
full Moon is seen.

It is thought that the rarity is where the phrase

"once in a blue Moon" may come from.

The last blue Moon was in August 2021 and the

next one will be in 2026.

But the combination of a blue Moon and super

Moon is much rarer and we will have to wait until
2037 to see it again.

How to watch the super blue

moon?

00:38

Watch: Astronomer on how to best witness the rare

event

No special equipment like a telescope is needed to

observe the sight - it will just be a case of looking at
the sky towards the south.

In the UK the peak time will be 02:35 on Thursday.

But as long as it is not cloudy, the Moon's rise
should also be spectacular as it appears above the
horizon shortly aer sunset.

If you've managed to spot the Super Moon and

would like to share your experience with us you
can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing

to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in
touch in the following ways:

WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803

Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay

Upload pictures or video

Please read our terms & conditions and

privacy policy

Sorry, we can’t display this part of the story

on this lightweight mobile page.
View the full version of the page to see all
the content.

Sorry, we can’t display this part of the story

on this lightweight mobile page.
View the full version of the page to see all
the content.

If you are reading this page and can't see the form
you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC
website to submit your question or comment or you
can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please
include your name, age and location with any
submission.

Sorry, we can’t display this part of the story

on this lightweight mobile page.
View the full version of the page to see all
the content.

Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC

News in your inbox.

Related topics

Astronomy The Moon

Top Stories
Letby inquiry gets powers to force witnesses to
give evidence
33 minutes ago

LIVE Hurricane Idalia leaves hundreds of

thousands without power

Front-line gains could open way to Crimea -

Ukraine
1 hour ago

Features & Analysis

What has India's rover been up to on the

Moon?
30 August 2023

Russiaʼs kamikaze drones raining down on

Ukraine
30 August 2023

What's behind Netflix's expansion into

gaming?
30 August 2023

Nine boats in 24 hours: At sea with Tunisia's

coast guard
30 August 2023

Nagorno-Karabakh: 'People are fainting in

bread queues'
7 hours ago

Can pop stars stop politicians using their

music?
29 August 2023

The enduring inspiration of Seamus Heaney

30 August 2023

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled

or delayed?
29 August 2023

Watch: BBC gets as close as possible to

Prigozhin grave
29 August 2023

Most read

Why you can trust the BBC

Terms of Use Accessibility Help

About the BBC Contact the BBC

Privacy Policy Do not share or sell my info

Cookies

© 2023 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of

external sites. Read about our approach to external
linking.