An "unconventional" blue supermoon will be visible from Ontario this month
It will be quite the year for night sky watchers in Ontario, with four full supermoons to be visible to residents in as many months.
The first in this series of full supermoon appearances this year will occur on August 19, when the Moon passes just 361,969 kilometres from Earth.
And this won’t just be any supermoon, as August’s supermoon will be classified as a “Blue Moon,” just not in the sense the term is usually used.
Described by experts as “unconventional,” the August supermoon will be the first full moon of the month, while a Blue Moon typically refers to the second full moon in a calendar month.
So, what gives?
This Blue Moon actually falls under the pre-1937 interpretation of the term, marking the third full moon in a season with four total full moons.
This also explains why we are once again discussing a rare blue supermoon after telling readers last year that such an event won’t happen again until 2037 — because, in this case, we are talking about an entirely different definition of the term than the more common “two full moons in a month” interpretation.
And, if you’re expecting the moon to turn a pale shade of blue, sorry, but this terminology should not be interpreted as a literal colour change for the large orb in the sky.
So, with that explained, what are the odds of this supermoon gracing Ontario’s Instagram feeds?
One week ahead of the August supermoon, much of the province is looking at the potential for rainy skies on the 19th, including overcast skies and a 60% chance of showers overnight in Toronto.
Luckily, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, there will be many more chances to see this spectacular phenomenon this year.
The upcoming supermoon will mark the first of 2024 and kick off four consecutive months of supermoon appearances in August, September, October, and November.
While August’s blue supermoon will truly be a sight to behold, the Moon will orbit even closer to Earth in the following months.
On September 18, the celestial body will be spaced just 357,485 kilometres from Earth. It will approach even closer on October 17, at 357,363 kilometres. A November 15 supermoon will follow, with the Moon to orbit 361,866 kilometres from our planet.