Rare blue supermoon brightens the night sky this week in the closest full moon of the year
- Dubbed ‘supermoon’ because it’s closer to Earth than usual, especially big and bright – and there won’t be another one like it until 2037
- As a bonus, Saturn will be visible as a bright 0.5 degrees to the right of the moon at sunset from some locations, according to Nasa
Stargazers are in for a double treat this week: a rare blue supermoon with Saturn peeking from behind.
The cosmic curtain rises on Wednesday night with the second full moon of the month, the reason it’s considered blue. It’s dubbed a supermoon because it’s closer to Earth than usual, appearing especially big and bright.
This will be the closest full moon of the year, just 357,344 kilometres or so away. That’s more than 160km closer than the August 1 supermoon.
As a bonus, Saturn will be visible as a bright point 5 degrees to the upper right of the moon at sunset in the east-southeastern sky, according to Nasa. The ringed planet will appear to circle clockwise around the moon as the night wears on.
If you missed the month’s first spectacle, better catch this one. There won’t be another blue supermoon until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
Clouds spoiled Masi’s attempt to livestream the supermoon rising earlier this month. He’s hoping for clearer skies this time so he can capture the blue supermoon shining above St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.