Monday marks a uncommon cosmic occasion: a blue supermoon. It’s a mixture of a supermoon, when it’s closest to Earth, and a blue moon, which is the third of 4 full moons in a season.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Properly, it is a marvelous evening for a moon look. Van Morrison and different stargazers may discover that the moon appears to be like a bit greater tonight for a blue supermoon.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
That is proper. It is a mixture of two celestial occasions – a supermoon, when it is closest to Earth, and a blue moon, which is the third of 4 full moons in a season.
SHAPIRO: Whereas we get supermoons a number of instances a 12 months, blue supermoons are way more uncommon. This solely occurs about as soon as per decade often.
CHANG: Yeah. And we have been truly lucky sufficient to have a blue supermoon final August, too, Ari. NASA says in the present day’s supermoon technically hit its peak this afternoon, however it can seem full for 3 days.
SHAPIRO: The distinction is refined, however if you’re chasing the very best view, escape these binoculars and check out testing the moon because it’s rising or setting in your space. Right here in Chicago, because it was developing over Lake Michigan final evening, it regarded deep crimson.
CHANG: Oh, cool. Don’t miss this. The subsequent seasonal blue supermoon, that will look crimson, will not occur till 2032. In any case, , this sort of factor solely occurs as soon as in a…
SHAPIRO: No, Ailsa. Ailsa, do not say it. Do not say it.
CHANG: …Oh, please let me – blue moon.
(SOUNDBITE OF VAN MORRISON SONG, “MOONDANCE”)
Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This textual content is probably not in its closing kind and could also be up to date or revised sooner or later. Accuracy and availability might range. The authoritative report of NPR’s programming is the audio report.
