New Delhi: India’s stargazers are in for a celestial treat on Monday when a full, blue supermoon, a rare occurrence in the Indian skies, appears. This event, according to NASA, is significant as it marks the first supermoon of 2024 and will be a sight to behold.
According to NASA, the Moon will seem full from Sunday morning until early Wednesday morning. For travellers going eastward from Nepal across Asia, including India and Australia, the Moon will peak on Tuesday morning.
India will be able to witness the celestial event on August 19 and 20 during the night and early hours of August 20. This year, there will be four consecutive supermoons.
The term “supermoon,” coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979, refers to a new or full Moon that occurs when the Moon is within 90 percent of its closest approach to Earth. These full supermoons, with their breathtaking size and brightness, are a sight to behold and are the biggest and brightest full Moons of the year.
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This full Moon is also a Blue Moon, a term that dates back to 1528 and has various speculated origins. It refers to the third full Moon in a season with four full Moons. Although it won’t appear blue, the term ‘Blue Moon’ is believed to have originated from an old English phrase meaning ‘betrayer Moon’ or a reference to rare atmospheric conditions that make the Moon appear blue.
The August Full Moon is traditionally known as the Sturgeon Moon by the Algonquin tribes, named after the large fish easily caught this time of year. Other names for this Moon include the Red Moon, Corn Moon, Barley Moon, and Herb Moon..
For science fiction fans, this Sturgeon Moon is a nod to author Theodore Sturgeon, known for his contributions to Star Trek.
The next supermoon in 2024 will occur on September 17, also known as the Harvest Moon.
Earth will also partially eclipse it during the night as a portion of it passes into Earth’s shadow.
The third full moon of the year will occur on October 17. Known as Hunter’s Moon, it will also be the year’s closest full moon. The last supermoon of the year will occur on November 15.
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