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A full moon occurs for the second time in a month. On Thursday, August 31, the so-called “Super Blue Moon” can be admired in the night sky.
Frankfurt – On Thursday, August 31, in the early morning hours, it’s that time again. A look at the night sky is particularly worthwhile, because: There will be another super moon to be seen. The sky spectacle is called a super moon when the moon is particularly close to the earth or closer than usual and therefore appears larger and brighter than usual. That was already the case at the beginning of August. Other sky highlights in August were the planets Jupiter and Saturn, as well as numerous shooting stars.
“Super Blue Moon” over Hesse: The full moon appears particularly large and brighter
Now the moon orbits the earth again in its elliptical orbit and can be seen in all its glory. This time it is also a “Blue Moon”. This is what the phenomenon is called in America when there are two full moons within a month – which is extremely rare. According to the space agency Nasa, the lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days. For two full moons to occur in a calendar month, the first must happen at the beginning of the month if possible, and the second at the end – this happens on average about every three years.
On August 31, a Blue Supermoon appears in the night sky (icon image). © IMAGO/xChayananelixirx
But why is it called a super moon? One speaks of a supermoon when the satellite comes closer than 367,000 kilometers to the earth. The average distance from the moon is around 380,000 kilometers. At 3:36 a.m. on August 31, the distance is said to be around 357,300 kilometers.
Sighting of the “Super Blue Moon” in Hesse depends on the weather
While the last super moon was less visible in some places in Germany, in Hesse many about the highly visible sky spectacle. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the weather in Hesse could spoil the “Super Blue Moon” a bit. Thursday night is initially heavily overcast with local showers and thunderstorms forecast. However, it should loosen up again. Meteorologists see better chances for viewing the astro spectacle in Lower Saxony, Brandenburg or Saxony-Anhalt. The next “Blue Moon” is calculated for May 31, 2026. (jos/dpa)