Jump to content

Recommended Posts

  • Publishers
Posted

4 min read

Super Blue Moons: Your Questions Answered

At twilight, a full moon rises over a broad river with vegetated banks. The Moon appears peach-colored in a dim pink-and-blue sky.
Moonrise over the Syr Darya river, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016, Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
NASA/Bill Ingalls

A trifecta of labels is being applied to the Moon of Aug. 19, 2024. It’s a full moon, a supermoon, and finally a blue moon. You may hear it referred to as a super blue moon as a result. It sounds exciting, but what does that really mean? We’ve got you covered.

What is a supermoon?

The Moon travels around our planet in an elliptical orbit, or an elongated circle, with Earth closer to one side of the ellipse. Each month, the Moon passes through the point closest to Earth (perigee) and the point farthest from Earth (apogee). When the Moon is at or near its closest point to Earth at the same time as it is full, it is called a “supermoon.” During this event, because the full moon is a little bit closer to us than usual, it appears especially large and bright in the sky.

Because the Moon’s orbit wobbles and differs depending on where the Sun and Earth are in their orbits, the exact distance of these closest and furthest points varies. But the Moon can look up to 14 percent bigger at perigee than apogee.

This animation shows the difference between a Moon at its closest point to Earth, when supermoons occur, and at its farthest. Distance to apogee and perigee vary by event. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

OK, so what is a blue moon?

A monthly blue moon occurs when we see the full moon twice in a single month. The Moon’s cycle is 29.5 days, so just a bit shorter than the average length of a calendar month. Eventually that gap results in a full moon happening at the beginning of a month with enough days still remaining for another full cycle ― so a second full moon in the same month. In other words, a full moon that happens on the 1st or 2nd of a month will probably be followed by a second full moon on the 30th or 31st. This happens every two to three years.

A seasonal blue moon occurs when there are four full moons in a single season (spring, summer, fall and winter) instead of the usual three. The third moon in this lineup is a blue moon. This Aug. 19 moon is a seasonal blue moon.

Will the Moon be blue?

No, that’s just the term for two full moons in a month, or the third full moon in a season with four.

Is the Moon ever blue?

On rare occasions, tiny particles in the air ― typically of smoke or dust ― can scatter away red wavelengths of light, causing the Moon to appear blue.

Will this Moon be bigger and more “super?”

You probably won’t notice a big difference in size. When the Moon is closest to Earth (a “supermoon”), it can look up to 14 percent bigger than when it’s farthest from Earth. This is similar to the size difference between a quarter and a nickel. Because the Moon will be close to us in its orbit, it will appear a bit brighter than usual.

Image Before/After

Do blue moons and supermoons always occur together?

No. The term “supermoon” is used to describe a full Moon that occurs within a day or so of perigee, so they happen three to four times a year. About 25 percent of all full moons are supermoons, but only 6 percent of full moons are blue moons (seasonal and monthly). The time between super blue moons is quite irregular ― it can be as much as 20 years ― but in general, 10 years is the average. However, if you like to celebrate both seasonal and monthly blue moons, the gap is closer to five years.

Monthly blue moons always occur in the last two or three days of the month. A monthly blue moon in January is usually followed by another one in March of the same year. And in fact, the next monthly super blue moons will occur as a pair, in January and March 2037. Seasonal blue moons always occur almost exactly one month before an equinox or a solstice. The next seasonal blue moon will be on Aug. 21, 2032.

So if it’s not blue and not super-sized, is this worth checking out?

Hey, it’s always a good time to look at the Moon! Try our Daily Moon Guide to see if you can locate some of our recommended daily Moon sights.

Share

Details

Last Updated
Aug 19, 2024

Related Terms

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Similar Topics

    • By NASA
      Caption: Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission One lander, seen here, will carry 10 NASA science and technology instruments to the Moon’s near side when it launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. Credit: Firefly Aerospace Media accreditation is open for the next delivery to the Moon through NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign for the benefit of humanity. A six-day launch window opens no earlier than mid-January 2025 for the first Firefly Aerospace launch to the lunar surface.

      The Blue Ghost flight, carrying 10 NASA science and technology instruments, will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Media prelaunch and launch activities will take place at NASA Kennedy.

      Attendance for this launch is open to U.S. citizens and international media. International media must apply by Monday, Dec. 9, and U.S. media must apply by Thursday, Jan. 2. Media interested in participating in launch activities must apply for credentials at:
      https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
      Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email upon approval. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation or to request special logistical support such as space for satellite trucks, tents, or electrical connections, please send an email by Thursday, Jan. 2, to: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For other questions, please contact Kennedy’s newsroom at: 321-867-2468.
      Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo o Messod Bendayan a: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov.

      The company named the mission Ghost Riders in the Sky. It will land near a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium, a more than 300-mile-wide basin located in the northeast quadrant of the lunar near side. The mission will carry NASA investigations and first-of-their-kind technology demonstrations to further our understanding of the Moon’s environment and help prepare for future human missions to the lunar surface, as part of the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach. This includes payloads testing lunar subsurface drilling, regolith sample collection, global navigation satellite system abilities, radiation tolerant computing, and lunar dust mitigation. The data captured also benefits humanity by providing insights into how space weather and other cosmic forces impact Earth.

      Under the CLPS model, NASA is investing in commercial delivery services to the Moon to enable industry growth and support long-term lunar exploration. As a primary customer for CLPS deliveries, NASA aims to be one of many customers on future flights.

      As part of its Artemis campaign, NASA is working with multiple U.S. companies to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface. These companies are eligible to bid on task orders to deliver NASA payloads to the Moon. The task order includes payload integration and operations and launching from Earth and landing on the surface of the Moon. Existing CLPS contracts are indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with a cumulative maximum contract value of $2.6 billion through 2028.

      For more information about the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, see:
      https://www.nasa.gov/clps
      -end-
      Alise Fisher
      Headquarters, Washington
      202-358-2546
      alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov   

      Wynn Scott / Natalia Riusech
      Johnson Space Center, Houston
      281-483-5111
      wynn.b.scott@nasa.gov / nataila.s.riusech@nasa.gov

      Antonia Jaramillo
      Kennedy Space Center, Florida
      321-867-2468
      antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Nov 25, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
      Missions Artemis Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) View the full article
    • By NASA
      2 Min Read Why NASA Is a Great Place to Launch Your Career 
      Students at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory pose for photos around the laboratory wearing their eclipse glasses. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech  Recently recognized as the most prestigious internship program by Vault.com, NASA has empowered countless students and early-career professionals to launch careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. NASA interns make real contributions to space and science missions, making it one of the best places to start your career. 
      “NASA internships give students the chance to work on groundbreaking projects alongside experts, providing impactful opportunities for professional growth,” said Mike Kincaid, associate administrator for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement. “Since starting my career as an intern at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, I’ve experienced firsthand how NASA creates lasting connections and open doors—not just for me, but for former interns who are now colleagues across the agency. These internships build STEM skills, confidence, and networks, preparing the next generation of innovators and leaders.” 
      NASA interns achieve impressive feats, from discovering new exoplanets to becoming astronauts and even winning Webby Awards for their science communication efforts. These valuable contributors play a crucial role in NASA’s mission to explore the unknown for the benefit of all. Many NASA employees start their careers as interns, a testament to the program’s lasting impact. 
      Students congratulate the 23rd astronaut class at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on March 5, 2024.NASA/Josh Valcarcel Additionally, NASA is recognized as one of America’s Best Employers for Women and one of America’s Best Employers for New Graduates by Forbes, reflecting the agency’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. NASA encourages people from underrepresented groups to apply, creating a diverse cohort of interns who bring a wide range of perspectives and ideas to the agency.  
      “My internship experience has been incredible. I have felt welcomed by everyone I’ve worked with, which has been so helpful as a Navajo woman as I’ve often felt like an outsider in male-dominated STEM spaces,” said Tara Roanhorse, an intern for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement. 
      If you’re passionate about space, technology, and making a difference in the world, NASA’s internship program is the perfect place to begin your journey toward a fulfilling and impactful career.  
      To learn more about NASA’s internship programs, visit: https://www.intern.nasa.gov/ 
      Keep Exploring Discover More STEM Topics From NASA
      For Colleges and Universities
      For Students Grades 9-12
      Join Artemis
      Learning Resources
      View the full article
    • By NASA
      This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:
      Password:
      View the full article
    • By NASA
      5 Min Read Making Mars’ Moons: Supercomputers Offer ‘Disruptive’ New Explanation
      A NASA study using a series of supercomputer simulations reveals a potential new solution to a longstanding Martian mystery: How did Mars get its moons? The first step, the findings say, may have involved the destruction of an asteroid. 
      The research team, led by Jacob Kegerreis, a postdoctoral research scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, found that an asteroid passing near Mars could have been disrupted – a nice way of saying “ripped apart” – by the Red Planet’s strong gravitational pull.
      The team’s simulations show the resulting rocky fragments being strewn into a variety of orbits around Mars. More than half the fragments would have escaped the Mars system, but others would’ve stayed in orbit. Tugged by the gravity of both Mars and the Sun, in the simulations some of the remaining asteroid pieces are set on paths to collide with one another, every encounter further grinding them down and spreading more debris. 
      Many collisions later, smaller chunks and debris from the former asteroid could have settled into a disk encircling the planet. Over time, some of this material is likely to have clumped together, possibly forming Mars’ two small moons, Phobos and Deimos.
      To assess whether this was a realistic chain of events, the research team explored hundreds of different close encounter simulations, varying the asteroid’s size, spin, speed, and distance at its closest approach to the planet. The team used their high-performance, open-source computing code, called SWIFT, and the advanced computing systems at Durham University in the United Kingdom to study in detail both the initial disruption and, using another code, the subsequent orbits of the debris.
      In a paper published Nov. 20 in the journal Icarus, the researchers report that, in many of the scenarios, enough asteroid fragments survive and collide in orbit to serve as raw material to form the moons. 
      “It’s exciting to explore a new option for the making of Phobos and Deimos – the only moons in our solar system that orbit a rocky planet besides Earth’s,” said Kegerreis. “Furthermore, this new model makes different predictions about the moons’ properties that can be tested against the standard ideas for this key event in Mars’ history.”
      Two hypotheses for the formation of the Martian moons have led the pack. One proposes that passing asteroids were captured whole by Mars’ gravity, which could explain the moons’ somewhat asteroid-like appearance. The other says that a giant impact on the planet blasted out enough material – a mix of Mars and impactor debris – to form a disk and, ultimately, the moons. Scientists believe a similar process formed Earth’s Moon.
      The latter explanation better accounts for the paths the moons travel today – in near-circular orbits that closely align with Mars’ equator. However, a giant impact ejects material into a disk that, mostly, stays close to the planet. And Mars’ moons, especially Deimos, sit quite far away from the planet and probably formed out there, too. 
      “Our idea allows for a more efficient distribution of moon-making material to the outer regions of the disk,” said Jack Lissauer, a research scientist at Ames and co-author on the paper. “That means a much smaller ‘parent’ asteroid could still deliver enough material to send the moons’ building blocks to the right place.”
      It’s exciting to explore a new option for the making of Phobos and Deimos – the only moons in our solar system that orbit a rocky planet besides Earth’s.
      Jacob Kegerreis
      Postdoctoral research scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center
      Testing different ideas for the formation of Mars’ moons is the primary goal of the upcoming Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) sample return mission led by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). The spacecraft will survey both moons to determine their origin and collect samples of Phobos to bring to Earth for study. A NASA instrument on board, called MEGANE – short for Mars-moon Exploration with GAmma rays and Neutrons – will identify the chemical elements Phobos is made of and help select sites for the sample collection. Some of the samples will be collected by a pneumatic sampler also provided by NASA as a technology demonstration contribution to the mission. Understanding what the moons are made of is one clue that could help distinguish between the moons having an asteroid origin or a planet-plus-impactor source.
      Before scientists can get their hands on a piece of Phobos to analyze, Kegerreis and his team will pick up where they left off demonstrating the formation of a disk that has enough material to make Phobos and Deimos. 
      “Next, we hope to build on this proof-of-concept project to simulate and study in greater detail the full timeline of formation,” said Vincent Eke, associate professor at the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University and a co-author on the paper. “This will allow us to examine the structure of the disk itself and make more detailed predictions for what the MMX mission could find.”  
      For Kegerreis, this work is exciting because it also expands our understanding of how moons might be born – even if it turns out that Mars’ own formed by a different route. The simulations offer a fascinating exploration, he says, of the possible outcomes of encounters between objects like asteroids and planets. These events were common in the early solar system, and simulations could help researchers reconstruct the story of how our cosmic backyard evolved. 
      This research is a collaborative effort between Ames and Durham University, supported by the Institute for Computational Cosmology’s Planetary Giant Impact Research group. The simulations used were run using the open-source SWIFT code, carried out on the DiRAC (Distributed Research Utilizing Advanced Computing) Memory Intensive service (“COSMA”), hosted by Durham University on behalf of the DiRAC High-Performance Computing facility.
      For news media:
      Members of the news media interested in covering this topic should reach out to the NASA Ames newsroom.
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Nov 20, 2024 Related Terms
      Mars Ames Research Center Ames Research Center's Science Directorate General High-Tech Computing Mars Moons Martian Moon Exploration (MMX) Missions NASA Centers & Facilities Planets Technology The Solar System Explore More
      5 min read NASA’s Swift Reaches 20th Anniversary in Improved Pointing Mode
      After two decades in space, NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is performing better than ever…
      Article 1 hour ago 2 min read Gateway Tops Off
      Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element is now equipped with its xenon and liquid fuel tanks.
      Article 2 hours ago 2 min read About the Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer (OCKO)
      Article 6 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Missions
      Humans in Space
      Climate Change
      Solar System
      View the full article
    • By NASA
      2 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      The thermal protection system on the outside of the space shuttle included hundreds of ceramic tiles custom made for the orbiter. These reflected heat off the shuttle’s outside surface during atmospheric re-entry and were an inspiration for the ceramic ingredients in Super Therm. Credit: NASA Without proper insulation, sunlight can make buildings feel like ovens. In the late 1980s, Joseph Pritchett aimed to solve this problem by developing a coating for building insulation. He knew of NASA’s experience with thermal testing, particularly with ceramics, which have several uses for the agency. Their heat-resistant properties make them excellent materials for spacecraft reentry shields, and their durability is perfect for airplane components. Pritchett thought by infusing paints with both insulating ceramic compounds and tough, resilient polymers, he could develop an insulation coating with the best features of both. 

      Pritchett contacted the materials lab at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, through the center’s Technology Transfer Office. The facility had many ways to test heat-resistant materials, and the Marshall engineers and research scientists provided Pritchett with lists of material compounds to test for his insulation coating.  
      Super Therm has been applied in several places, including handrails on the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge over the Colorado River. The selection of its makeup of ceramic and polymeric materials was assisted by NASA scientists.Credit: Superior Products InternationaI II, LLC Over a period of six years, Pritchett tested every compound on the lists NASA provided, narrowing down the potential compounds until he found the ideal insulation. Pritchett founded Superior Products International II, Inc. of Shawnee, Kansas, in 1995. His product, dubbed Super Therm, is a composite of both ceramic and polymeric materials. In 2011, when tested by Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, Pritchett’s product proved successful in saving energy when cooling homes.

      The engineers at Marshall played a pivotal role in Super Therm’s development, as their knowledge was key to finding the right ceramic material. In addition to insulation for buildings, the material has been used in other industrial applications, such as keeping equipment like tanks and pumps cool on oil rigs. Pritchett’s Super Therm is yet another example of how NASA’s Technology Transfer Program within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate drives innovation in commercial industry.  
      Read More Share
      Details
      Last Updated Nov 19, 2024 Related Terms
      Technology Transfer & Spinoffs Spinoffs Technology Transfer Explore More
      2 min read From Mars Rovers to Factory Assembly Lines
      NASA-funded AI technology enabling autonomous rovers and drones now keeps an eye on conveyor belts
      Article 3 weeks ago 2 min read The View from Space Keeps Getting Better  
      After 50 years of Landsat, discovery of new commercial and scientific uses is only accelerating
      Article 1 month ago 2 min read Controlled Propulsion for Gentle Landings 
      A valve designed for NASA rover landings enables effective stage separations for commercial spaceflight
      Article 1 month ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics
      Technology Transfer & Spinoffs
      Thermal Protection Materials Branch
      Marshall Space Flight Center
      Technology
      View the full article
  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...