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Florida to catch glimpse of 'rare blue super moon'
A "rare blue super moon" will be visible in the skies on Monday night. The moon won't actually be blue, but it'll appear bigger and brighter than other full moons in a year.
We'll catch a glimpse of the rare supermoon blue moon on Monday night. Here's what you need to know about the phenomenon:
When will the super blue moon happen?
The full moon, a supermoon blue moon, will be visible for a few days, starting Sunday (Aug. 18) morning through early Wednesday (Aug. 21), according to NASA.
What time is the super blue moon?
The supermoon blue moon will be fully illuminated at 2:26 p.m. on Monday.
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What is a blue moon?
Full moons that we see twice in one month are given the term "blue moon," according to NASA. Additionally, it's the third full moon in a season with four full moons – or the second full moon in one calendar month – so it's called a blue moon.
TURIN, ITALY - AUGUST 02: The Sturgeon Super Moon is seen on August 2, 2023 in Turin, Italy. This is the first of two super moons in the month of August, with the end of the month seeing a rare super blue moon, which happens about once every ten year …
"The period from one full moon to another is about 29 1/2 days, so when two occur in the same month, the first of these full moons is always on the first or second day of the month," according to Brittanica. "February, which has only 28 days (29 days in leap years), can never have a blue moon. Months with 31 days—January, March, May, July, August, October, and December—have a much better chance of hosting a blue moon because of their length."
It should also be noted that it's called a "super" moon because the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, known as the perigee, according to FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Brooks Garner.
A blue moon is also known as the Sturgeon Moon, according to NASA.
Is a blue moon actually blue?
No, the moon won't actually appear blue. A blue moon is a term for the third full moon in a season with four full moons.
The term "blue moon" dates back to the 1500s.
"Speculations on the origin of the term include an old English phrase that means ‘betrayer Moon’ (because it led to mistakes in setting the dates for Lent and Easter). Or it may be a comparison to rare events such as when dust in the atmosphere makes the Moon actually appear blue," according to NASA. "Since the 1940s the term ‘Blue Moon' has also been used for the second full Moon in a month that has two full Moons."
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Why is the moon so bright?
The moon will appear to be bigger and brighter than other full moons in a year thanks to its position closest to Earth in its annual orbital plane, according to FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Brooks Garner. The moon will look up to 15% brighter and 8% larger than usual.
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - AUGUST 31: Cars drive across the July 15 Martyrs Bridge (Bosphorus Bridge) as the rare Super Blue Moon sets behind on August 31, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. The term "Blue Moon" does not refer to the color of the moon, but is the ter …
What does the super blue moon mean spiritually?
According to Spirituality & Health magazine, a blue moon "offers an opportunity for contemplation, completion, and tapping into divine femininity." Here's what the publication said about the blue moon:
- Since blue moons typically happen at the end of a month, your focus should be on releasing, letting go and shifting into the next phase of your life
- Prioritize what you need in order to let go as this is the time to "step through the portal between these two full moons into the next phase of your life"
- Blue moon represents the 13th moon within a calendar year
- The number 13 is associated with the Goddess and feminine energy because a menstrual cycle aligns more closely with a moon cycle than a calendar month
- People of any gender can connect to the feminine, Goddess aspect of themselves by tapping into their powerful, playful and sometimes dark energy
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Super blue moon rituals
According to NASA, this full moon aligns with the Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi Purnima. It celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters.
"One of the traditions is for sisters of all ages to tie a rakhi (a cotton bracelet) around their brother's wrist, receiving a gift from the brother in return as a sign of the continuing bond between them. The term ‘Raksha Bandhan’ translates as ‘the bond of protection, obligation, or care,’" NASA said.
Additionally, "suitably celebratory celestial attire" is encouraged to honor the full moon.
TOPSHOT - People watches the "Blue Supermoon", the second full moon of the month rising in Paris, on August 30, 2023. (Photo by Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP) (Photo by STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP via Getty Images)
Full moon calendar 2024
Here's a look at the remaining full moons of 2024, according to Space.com:
- Sept. 17: Harvest Moon
- Oct. 17: Hunter's Moon
- Nov. 15: Beaver Moon
- Dec. 15: Cold Moon
How often do blue moons occur?
Blue moons happen about once every 33 months/full moons, 41 times per century, or about seven times every 19 years, according to Brittanica.
The next supermoon blue moon will happen on Jan. 31, 2037, 12 years from now.