This week, the sky around the world will be lit up by a "blue moon", in a rare sight that will only be repeated once in 2023.
The British newspaper "Daily Mail" said that the third giant moon of this year will appear on August 30 at 9:36 pm EST, that is, at around 02:35 GMT (in the early hours of August 31).
Despite its name, the blue moon does not carry any different color, as it will retain its usual gray shade, but it may appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than usual.
Generally, a blue moon occurs every 2 or 3 years. His last appearance was in August 2021. And in rare cases, it can recur twice in one year, such as 2018.
Experts advise turning off the lights at home to improve vision, noting that it depends to a large extent on the weather and pollution.
Two giant moons have appeared so far, and two more will appear in the coming days.
July 3: Pak Moon
August 1: Sturgeon Moon
August 30: Blue Moon
September 29: Harvest Moon
What is a supermoon?
A supermoon is a rare and impressive lunar event that you only catch a glimpse of a few times a year. It is a combination of two different astronomical effects, specifically when a new or full moon coincides with the "lunar perigee", which is the point closest to Earth in its monthly orbit.
When that happens, the sky is filled with a large, bright moon that would dazzle anyone gazing at it.
The moon must be within 90 percent of its closest distance from Earth to be officially defined as a supermoon.
This means that the moon needs to come within 224,865 miles of Earth, and to be a full moon.