An unforgettable night with a blue moon awaits you

This week we will see a giant blue moon that astronomy enthusiasts can watch from Monday night to Tuesday morning. The moon will appear about a seventh larger and brighter on Monday night as a blue moon and a supermoon coincide.

The Moon moves around the Earth in an orbit that is not perfectly circular, so there is a point in its orbit that is closer to the Earth and another point that is further away. The moon is usually about 384,000 km from Earth, but on Monday night it will be 23,000 km closer, which is almost twice the diameter of Earth. When the moon is at its closest point to Earth and is full or new, it appears largest and brightest, and a giant moon occurs.

A blue moon occurs every two to three years, when there are two full moons in a calendar month or four full moons in a season. However, a blue moon will not appear blue. In fact, it will appear red or yellow at the horizon due to refraction of light in the atmosphere. According to NASA, the full moon will be visible for three days from Sunday morning to early Tuesday morning.

The moon will be closest to Earth at 4.26am on Tuesday, but Australian astronomers will get the best view on Monday evening. The moon is expected to rise around 5pm and be fully visible across major Australian cities from around 6pm. Macquarie University astronomer Richard de Grace said: “At dusk, the moon appears larger due to the reflection of light by the atmosphere. According to him, if people want to see a bigger moon, they should look towards the horizon this evening. University of Queensland astrophysicist Ben Pope said Monday evening would be a good chance to see the moon in conjunction with Saturn.

“If you have a small telescope or binoculars, it’s going to be a great night for viewing,” he said. “You can see both Saturn’s rings and all the beautiful details of the moon’s surface.” For those who miss the moon on Monday, the Sydney Observatory suggests looking on Tuesday night as the moon is still closer to Earth than usual.

Giant moons occur three or four times a year, with the next moons occurring on September 18, October 17, and November 16. September’s giant moon will be even closer to Earth, at a distance of 27,000 km. But blue moons are extremely rare, so we won’t have another one until May 2026. And since there won’t be a giant moon that month, it will be at least three years before the next giant blue moon arrives. The terms blue moon and giant moon are not scientific, meaning that the definitions of both terms are disputed, adding to the variability of estimates for the timing of the next giant blue moon.