Blue Moon on August 19, 2024: All You Need to Know

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - On August 19, 2024, a celestial event will occur: it is the Blue Moon. This is another instance of the phenomenon occurring, following the previous Blue Moon on August 30-31, 2023.

So, at what time will this phenomenon be observed? Will the moon turn blue? Let’s find out the answers in this article.

When is the August 19 Blue Moon?

People will expect the Blue Moon reaching its peak illumination on August 19, 2024, at 2:26 PM EDT (1:26 PM CDT), according to NASA. However, the moon will still be visible for three full days, from Sunday morning to early Wednesday morning.

Furthermore, in addition to being a Blue Moon, NASA has confirmed that the upcoming celestial event is also a Supermoon and Sturgeon Moon.

What is A Blue Moon?

So, the Blue Moon is solely a term; it doesn’t necessarily indicate that the moon will change its color. NASA mentioned, the term was firstly coined in 1528.

The term's origin is thought to be an old English phrase meaning "betrayer Moon," which is thought to have led to mistakes in setting the dates for Lent and Easter. It could also refer to rare events, such as when dust in the atmosphere makes the Moon appear blue.

In recent times, however, the term “Blue Moon” suggests two distinct definitions. As stated on earthsky.org, a blue moon is the second of two full moons in a calendar month. An alternative definition describes the term as the third of four full moons in a single season.

Consequently, a blue moon can be either monthly or seasonal. The forthcoming Blue Moon on August 19, 2024, will be seasonal.

NASA explained, 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.

Why is It Called a Blue Moon?

As previously stated, the upcoming blue moon will be a seasonal occurrence. Why is it called a seasonal blue moon?

As earthsky.org explained, it is the third of four full moons in a season. To be specific, this happens because June’s full moon falls about two days after the June solstice.

Therefore, it has nothing to do with the Moon turning blue, although it is not completely impossible. NASA noted, on rare occasions, the Moon can appear blue if there are tiny particles in the air, such as smoke or dust.

Those tiny particles can scatter away red wavelengths of light, resulting in a blue color of the Moon. The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 had actually caused the Moon turning into a blue-green hue.

How Rare is the Blue Moon?

Contrary to popular belief, blue moons do not occur as infrequently as the idiom "once in a blue moon" suggests. In fact, they appear every two to three years, according to NASA. It will be another story for a super blue moon.

It is a much rarer phenomenon, with an interval of approximately ten years on average, but with intervals as long as twenty years. NASA has predicted that the next super moon will occur in January and March of 2037.

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