Full Supermoon Blue Moon shines brightly
COLUMBUS (WCMH) -- The full moon Monday night will appear unusually bright because it happens to be a supermoon, which occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest distance to Earth, or perigee, in the moon's ellipitical orbit.
A supermoon appears about 15% brighter compared to when the moon is farthest away (apogee). The full moon will peak at 2:26 p.m. EDT on Monday, when it will be 224,917 miles from Earth.
The full moon in late August is also known as the Sturgeon Moon, one of a series of Native American names first published in the Maine Farmer's Almanac in the 1930s, according to NASA. The reference dates back to a time when sturgeon were readily caught in the Great Lakes and Northeastern waters by the Algonquin tribes.
As a bonus, the full moon also happens to be a Blue Moon, because it is the third full moon of four in the (summer) season, which happens very infrequently. Another definition of a blue moon is two full moons occurring in the same month.
There will be three more consecutive supermoons this fall. The next one occurs on Sept. 17, coinciding with a partial lunar eclipse that will be visible in the Americas and many other parts of the world. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through part of Earth's shadow. At that time, Earth is between the sun and the full moon, but not in a perfect alignment.