Sturgeon Moon: Stargazers observe first of August’s ultra rare double supermoon

Stargazers the world over have taken to social media to share their pictures of the first of August’s rare double supermoon.

The supermoon is a phenomenon in which the moon appears significantly bigger and brighter than a typical full moon.

The August full moon – known as the Sturgeon Moon after the increase in sturgeon fish in North American lakes at this time of year – was visible across the planet on Tuesday evening, when it was at its closest point to Earth.

This is because the moon’s orbit around the Earth is elliptical and its distance from the planet varies over time.

Sky gazers shared their photos of the lunar spectacle from different parts of the world. In many photos, the supermoon can be seen in the background of popular monuments and city buildings, including one behind the Temple of Poseidon in Greece and another with the moon in the backdrop of New York City.

“One thing to note, though, is that when the full moon is rising it can look bigger than normal,” explained Don Pollacco, professor of physics at the University of Warwick.

“This is partly due to the Earth’s atmosphere and also an optical illusion, such as seeing the moon next to trees,” he said.

Those who missed the opportunity to view the lunar event can get a chance again to see a second supermoon that will rise later this month, on 30 August.

In both these cases, the moon would be within 360,000km of Earth.

“The moon’s orbital period around the Earth is 29.5 days (so) two full moons are possible in a normal month. The second one is called a Blue Moon and give rise to the expression we use to express rarity in events,” professor Pollacco said.

A super blue moon will next be expected in August 2032, making this the last chance to witness one in this decade.