Learn about the phenomenon of the giant blue moon that will decorate the sky tomorrow

Arab Weather - The Earth's sky will witness the full moon of the month of Safar next Monday, as its brightness will reach 100%.

It is called a "blue moon" because it is the third of four full moons during the Northern Hemisphere summer season, although it will not appear blue.

Dr. Ashraf Tadros, professor of astronomy at the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, told the Middle East News Agency that blue moons occur at a rate of approximately once every two and a half years, which led to the emergence of the term “once in a blue moon” to indicate their rarity.

He added that the moon will rise on that day immediately after sunset, and will remain visible in the sky throughout the night until it sets with the sunrise the next morning. Since the naked eye cannot distinguish a true full moon, it will appear to us as a full moon from August 18 to 21.

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Dr. Tadros pointed out that this full moon is known among Native American tribes as the “Sturgeon Moon” because this time of year makes it easier to catch large sturgeon in lakes. It is also known as the “Wheat Moon” and the “Green Corn Moon.”

He stressed that the time of the full moon is the best time to see the terrain, volcanic craters and meteorite craters on the surface of the moon using binoculars and small telescopes.

The difference between the full moon and the "supermoon"

The difference between a full moon and a supermoon lies in the moon's position relative to the Earth and the moon's apparent size:

• The full moon

1. A full moon occurs when the Moon is at its full phase, that is, when the side facing Earth is completely illuminated by the Sun. This happens once per lunar month, when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon.
2. The moon appears to us round and large in the sky, but its apparent size is normal and does not differ significantly from the rest of the months.

• Supermoon:

1. A supermoon is the same phenomenon, but with one major difference: the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, known as "perigee."
2. In this case, the moon appears up to 14% larger and up to 30% brighter than a normal full moon, making it look even more striking.
3. The term "supermoon" is used to refer to the apparent large size of the moon compared to a normal full moon that occurs when the moon is at the farthest point in its orbit (apogee).

Does the moon actually appear blue?

The term "blue moon" is not related to the actual color of the moon. Although the moon can sometimes appear bluish, this only happens under certain atmospheric conditions. For example, a moon can appear blue when volcanic eruptions or fires release particles of a certain size into the atmosphere, favoring the scattering of red light.

In 1883, the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia killed 36,000 people and sent huge amounts of sulfur dioxide and ash into the air. This volcanic dust blocked red light, making the moon appear blue, as other colors are naturally scattered. Forest fires, which are becoming more common with current climate change, can have a similar effect, according to the Natural History Museum in London.

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Jordanian Astronomical Society: Joint observation of the Safar crescent from the Al-Aalouk Mountains north of the Jordanian capital, Amman