August will have two super moons - one is a blue moon - here’s why

Stargazers get a special treat in August when the month begins and ends with a supermoon.

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On Tuesday, the Full Sturgeon Moon will rise at 2:31 EDT and it set at 05:11 EDT, according to Space.com.

The Full Sturgeon Moon is considered a supermoon because the moon’s orbit brings it closer to Earth than normal. When this happens, the moon can appear larger and more bright than usual.

While “supermoon” is a cool name, Full Sturgeon Moon takes it up a notch. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, “August’s full moon was traditionally called the sturgeon moon because the giant sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this part of summer.”

On Aug. 30, a blue moon will rise, the first since August 2021. While the moon won’t appear blue, it will be called that because when there are four full moons in a single season, the third one of those is considered a “blue moon.”

The first supermoon was on July 3. Tuesday’s supermoon will be the second, the one on the 30th will be the third, and the fourth will be on Sept. 28.

According to The Farmer’s Almanac, while it is called a blue moon, the moon will actually have an orange or red hue as it rises. The Blue full moon will be around 222,043 miles from Earth, according to Almanac, the closest supermoon of the year.

The moon will rise at 7:10 p.m. EDT on Aug. 30, and set at 6:46 a.m. on Aug. 31.