Check next week! Sturgeon SUPERMOON will light up the skies Tuesday night: Here’s how to get the best view
- Stargazers are in luck as the second full supermoon of 2023 is scheduled to occur
- The ‘Sturgeon Moon’ is believed to rise at 9:23 pm GMT and 8:40 pm EDT
Skies around the world will light up with a ‘sturgeon moon’ next week in a show that marks the beginning of August.
Stargazers will be in luck on Tuesday, as the second full supermoon of the year will occur at 19:31 BST (14:31 ET), before rising at 21:23 BST (20:40 ET).
Many believe that the so-called ‘Sturgeon Moon’ gets its name from the sturgeon fish that was found in the Great Lakes of North America.
A supermoon occurs when a full moon nearly coincides with its perigee, the point in the moon’s orbit where it is closest to Earth.
At this time, the moon can appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a normal full moon, although it depends on the time of year.
Stargazers are in luck as the second full supermoon of 2023 is scheduled to occur
“Supermoon is a popular term indicating a full moon or a new moon that occurs when our satellite is close to its perigee, which is its minimum distance from Earth,” said astrophysicist Giana Masi, who founded the Virtual Telescope Project.
“The term itself has no scientific value: astronomers prefer to call it a full moon with perigee, but surely ‘supermoon’ is by far a much more charming name.”
While the August Supermoon is generally referred to by Native Americans as the ‘Sturgeon Moon,’ the ‘Corn Moon,’ the ‘Rice Moon,’ and the ‘Black Cherry Moon,’ are among other nicknames.
For their part, the Anglo-Saxons also called it the ‘Moon of Grains’, according to star walk.
The August 1 Supermoon is the second of 2023, following ‘Buck’s Moon’ earlier this month, with ‘Buck’ referring to young bucks growing new antlers in early July.
To spot the supermoon on Tuesday, experts suggest moving away from any large town or city and climbing high up to find a spot with clear skies.
Turning off the lights in your house can also improve visibility, although your chances are highly dependent on the weather and even pollution.
At the point in the Moon’s orbit when it is closest to Earth, it appears 14 percent larger than a micromoon, and vice versa.
Pictured: Sturgeon’s supermoon rises behind buildings in Amman, which is the capital of Jordan in the Middle East, early today
Masi added: ‘Observing the sky from the city is extremely important to raise awareness of the problem of light pollution. The supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky.
“Showing the dazzling beauty that is up there, feeding the desire to enjoy it more and better, understanding why it is disappearing from our cities, allows people to get involved and spontaneously promote responsible actions and behaviors in the use of artificial light.”
If you miss the show, don’t worry.
On August 31, a ‘blue moon’ will also light up the skies around the world at 02:35 BST and (21:35 ET).
According to Starwalk, this will be the largest and brightest Full Moon of 2023, which is 7.2% larger and 15.7% brighter than a typical Full Moon.
Conspiracy theories have surrounded supermoons and full moons for a long time, with some questioning whether they can influence human health.
Believing this first arose among early folklore, according to the Royal Museums, Greenwich, with common attractions to increase sleep problems and seizures.
While the scientific basis for such links is weak, some recent studies claim to have found a small connection between the moon and sleep.
