In Pictures: The first supermoon in August rises around the world

Updated: Aug 2, 2023, 8:45 AM |
Published: Aug 2, 2023, 7:15 AM

The first of two supermoons in August graced the skies on Tuesday. A supermoon is broadly defined as a full moon that is closer to the Earth than normal. That makes it appear slightly brighter and bigger in the sky. The next one is on the night of Aug. 30. Because it's the second full moon in the same month, it will be what's called a blue moon.

This year’s first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those.

What is supermoon? On Tuesday evening the full moon rose in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That’s because it was closer than usual, just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, thus the supermoon label.

The moon will be even closer the night of Aug. 30 — a scant 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) distant.

“Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.

The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.

This year’s first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those. (AP)

The supermoon rises in the sky as ferries and cargo ships cross the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (AP)

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The supermoon rises in the sky as ferries and cargo ships cross the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. The first of two supermoons in August graced the skies on Tuesday. A supermoon is broadly defined as a full moon that is closer to the Earth than normal. That makes it appear slightly brighter and bigger in the sky. The next one is on the night of Aug. 30. Because it's the second full moon in the same month, it will be what's called a blue moon. This year’s first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those. What is supermoon? On Tuesday evening the full moon rose in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That’s because it was closer than usual, just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, thus the supermoon label. The moon will be even closer the night of Aug. 30 — a scant 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) distant.