Astronomy enthusiasts got a delightful experience on August 30 when a rare celestial event known as a Super Blue Moon became visible in the sky across the world.
Supermoons occur when the moon passes through its perigee, or the point that takes it closest to Earth during its elliptical orbit. This makes it look about 14 percent bigger compared to when it is at its furthest point and a touch brighter.
The Super Moon as seen in the sky from Chennai.
A supermoon and a blue moon rarely overlap, making Wednesday night's moon a rare sight.
The sight of the super moon in the sky as observed from Jammu.
Super blue moons occur on average every 10 years, according to NASA.
The Super Moon, as seen in the foreground of a smoking chimney, in Mumbai.
The next super blue moon won't happen again until January 2037.
The Super Moon as seen in the sky besides the South City high-rise residential complex in Kolkata.
This supermoon is considered a rare celestial event because it is the second to occur in the month of August, following the first on August 1.
A blue moon has nothing to do with the colour of the moon.
Despite the description, it won't actually be blue: the term "blue Moon" simply refers to when we see a full moon twice in a month. This happens because lunar cycles are a bit shorter at 29.5 days than calendar months, which last 30 or 31 days, so it's possible for one to happen at the start of a month and the other right at the end.
The previous super blue Moon occurred in December 2009, with the next set to come in quick succession: January and March of 2037.
The origins of the English expression "once in a blue Moon," today understood to mean something that is very rare, go back hundreds of years. In Elizabethan times, "he would argue the Moon was blue" could be said about a person making outlandish or patently absurd claims.
Reportedly, the blue moon was at its brightest about 9:30 pm (IST), while the blue super moon will be at its brightest around 7:30 a.m. (IST) on August 31.
The visuals of a super blue moon from all around the world were indeed a rare sight.
(With inputs from AFP)
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