Moon lovers and night owls of Dubai, here’s something to beat those Monday blues – a magnificent supermoon will brighten the night sky on August 31. The bonus? It’s also a blue moon.
This is the fourth celestial event to occur this August after the Sturgeon Supermoon on August 2 and the Perseids Meteor Showers on August 13. Contrary to its misleading name, the blue moon isn’t actually blue in colour. The name refers to the frequency of a full moon’s appearance.
So what is a blue moon and why is it special?
A ‘blue moon’ is a second full moon that appears in one month. As it takes the moon around 29 days to finish a lunar cycle and a calendar month is between 30 and 31 days, sighting two full moons within the same month is a rare occurrence. It’s how the phrase, ‘once in a blue moon’ originated to describe events that happen very rarely.
This particular blue moon is more of a big deal because it’s also a supermoon. In fact, 2023’s biggest and brightest supermoon. While supermoons appear multiple times a year and blue moons appear every 2-3 years, the two celestial events overlapping is extremely rare. In fact, the last super blue moon occurred in January 2018 and the next one is a full 14 years away in 2037.
What is a supermoon?
A Supermoon is the term used for a full moon that is at its closest distance to Earth in its orbit (or perigree). According to NASA, supermoons appear a full 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual. This particular supermoon is the third of 2023’s four supermoons. The next supermoon is the Harvest Moon which will illuminate Dubai skies on September 28.
Where to watch the super blue moon in Dubai
Looking up at the sky around 7:30pm on August 31 will help you see La Luna in all her brilliance. But for some magical pictures and access to cutting-edge telescopes, sign up for the Dubai Astronomy Group’s Blue Moon Observation event. It’s happening at the Al Thuraya Astronomy Centre from 7pm to 9pm on August 31. Find details here