Heads Up: Two Supermoons Will Light Up the Sky in August
It won't happen again until 2037.
(SPOT.ph) Everyone likes a full moon. How about seeing two super-sized ones this August?
Two supermoons will illuminate the night sky this month: one on Wednesday, August 2 and another on Thursday, August 31, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (PAGASA) latest astronomical diary. It's a special occasion for stargazers everywhere as it is incredibly rare for two supermoons to fall within the same calendar month.
A supermoon happens when a full moon is the closest to the Earth, resulting in a slightly brighter and larger than the usual moon.
Also read: Heads Up: Three Meteor Showers Will Light Up the Night Sky in the Coming Weeks
When to spot two supermoons in the Philippines this August
The first supermoon will be 357,417 kilometers away from Earth at 1:52 p.m. on August 2. Although we won't get to see it at it's closest, be sure to keep watch that night for the larger-than-usual moon. Even closer is the second supermoon on 11:54 p.m. on August 31, which will only be 357,289 kilometers from Earth.
When two full moons happen in the same month, the second full moon is called a super blue moon. This is where the idiomatic expression ”once in a blue moon” came from since this astrological phenomenon happens only rarely, PAGASA said. The term has nothing to do with the moon's hue.
AP News reported that the last time two full supermoons were spotted in the same month was in 2018, with Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi saying this won’t happen again until 2037.
What PAGASA says about the supermoons
“A Perigee Full Moon, commonly known as the Supermoon, is an astronomical phenomenon occurring when the closest approach of the Moon to the Earth coincides with a Full Moon,” PAGASA wrote.
“When two full Moon close to perigee occur on the same calendar month, the second Full Moon is called a Super Blue Moon. During perigee, the Moon appears slightly brighter and larger than the usual full Moon.”
This astrological phenomenon is just in time for the celebration of Philippine Space Week from August 8 to 14, too.
Also read: 10 Places for Stargazing Near and Around Manila