This Wednesday night, the skies above Charleston will serve a celestial spectacle: an enchanting blue supermoon, with Saturn making a cameo right behind it.
Why blue, you ask? This luminary is the month’s second full moon, which gives it its unique color title. And this isn’t just any moon – it’s a supermoon, meaning it’s cozied up closer to Earth, illuminating the night with a grandeur that’s hard to miss.
Prepare to be spellbound as this will be the year’s closest full moon, hovering at a mere 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) away—considerably nearer than the Aug. 1 supermoon. And if that wasn’t enough, as the Charleston sun sets, look to the east-southeast horizon where Saturn will gleam brightly, seeming to dance around the moon throughout the night.
Get ready for the Blue Moon 🔵
On August 30 we will have the only blue moon for 2023.This blue moon will also be a supermoon, meaning the moon will be closest to Earth, so we will have the largest and brightest full moon of the year. pic.twitter.com/blftTbu2zA
— Learn Universe (@LearnUniverseIO) August 28, 2023
Missed the month’s inaugural moon marvel? Make sure to mark your calendar for this one. After all, the next blue supermoon won’t grace our skies until 2037, as stated by renowned Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project.
So, Charleston, get those telescopes out and prepare for a night to remember!
