Tonight, if sky conditions are favorable, you will see the Sturgeon Moon. This is the largest and brightest full moon (supermoon) in 2024 and is a ‘blue full moon’.
The name Sturgeon Moon is specifically given to the full moon in August, which is actually the same as the full moon in other months. This nickname comes from the giant sturgeon fish that are abundant in the Great Lake and Lake Champlain, United States (US).
For two Native American tribes, namely the Anishinaabe and Ojibwe, this related natural phenomenon is a critical time so that only sturgeon fish are a source of food and other needs.
And, that’s where the Sturgeon Moon got its nickname which was later used by world astronomy researchers.
The difference, according to LiveScience, is that the Sturgeon Moon coincides with the closest point of the Moon and Earth in their orbit (perigee) in August.
According to data from the Jakarta Plantarium, the distance between the Earth and the Moon at that time reached 360,196 km. Compare this with the farthest point (apogee) on August 9 which reached 405,297 km.
As a result, this full moon will be a supermoon, so the moon will look 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than at apogee.
What’s unique is that this full moon will have the status of a blue moon. The name, this does not mean that the full moon will emit a blue color, but rather is a term for a type of full moon that rarely occurs.
According to information from the US space agency NASA, blue moons, both seasonal and monthly, occur once every two to three years.
The last seasonal blue moon occurred in October 2020 and August 2021, with the next seasonal blue moon occurring in May 2027, according to Time and Date.
This Sturgeon Moon can best be seen rising above the eastern horizon when the moon rises on Tuesday (20/8). This full moon will also appear bright and full on H-1 and H-2.
You don’t need binoculars or a telescope to enjoy this full moon, unless you want to reveal details of the Moon’s surface that are invisible to the naked eye.
source: CNN Indonesia
