The first of two supermoons in August rises around the world

In August, the cosmos will treat us to a double feature: two supermoons that will be followed by a rare blue moon.

Tuesday saw the appearance of the first supermoon, which was a little bit bigger and brighter than usual. The term “supermoon” was coined because it was found to be closer than usual, at just 222,159 miles (357,530 km) away.

The moon is expected to be even closer the evening of August 30, merely 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) away. Because it will be the second full moon in the same month, it will be what’s dubbed a blue moon.

“Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,” said retired Nasa astrophysicist Fred Espenak, known as Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.

The last time two full supermoons appeared in the sky in the same month was in 2018. According to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, who founded the Virtual Telescope Project, it won’t happen again until the year 2037.

The first supermoon of the year occurred in July. The final and fourth will take place in September. The two in August are to be closer than either of the others.

Binoculars or backyard telescopes can improve the experience, provided clear skies, according to Espenak, exposing things like lunar maria—the shadowy plains created by past volcanic lava flows—and the light emitted by lunar craters.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac states that the full moon in August is customarily referred to as the “sturgeon moon.” That’s because, hundreds of years ago, there was an abundance of fish in the Great Lakes in August.