A Super Blue Moon is coming in conjunction with Saturn!

As the Sun sets on 30 August, the biggest and the brightest Moon of 2023 will rise in the east. It's a Super Blue Moon in conjunction with Saturn. A Super Blue Moon is an extremely rare celestial event, combining a Blue Moon and a Supermoon.

The Moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical or slightly oval trajectory. This means there are points during its orbit when it's closer to the Earth (perigee) and points when it's farther away (apogee). A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides closely with the perigee, making it appear about 14% larger and 30% brighter than at its farthest point or during a micromoon. The August 30-31 full Moon is the third Supermoon of 2023.

Next, we have the term Blue Moon. Typically, each month has only one full Moon, but given the Moon's cycle is about 29.5 days, there's a small window for a second one to squeeze into a single calendar month. This happens approximately once every 2.7 years. The August 30-31 full Moon is the month's second full Moon. Hence, it's called a Blue Moon.

Combining the above two events (the second full Moon of August around perigee), we have a Super Blue Moon that will be visible tonight. However, there's another thing that makes this event even more special.

When you gaze at the Moon on the night of August 30, you will notice a bright speck of light close to it. It’s not a star but the ringed planet Saturn. August 30 also marks the day of the conjunction of the Moon and Saturn in Aquarius. As seen in the sky, the two celestial bodies will be just a few degrees apart. Even more remarkable is that Saturn will be around its opposition or the closest approach to Earth around the Super Blue Moon.

Happy sky gazing 🌌✨