On Sunday night, the full supermoon, also known as a blue moon, rose red across the United Kingdom. Contrary to what the name suggests, a blue moon is not blue in color. This reddish hue was due to smoke from North American wildfires that was present in the stratosphere over the UK. The smoke diffused the light and enhanced the red and orange colors, resulting in hazy orange skies and a stunning sunset.
This is the second full moon in a calendar month, which happens when the lunar cycle of 29. 5 days gets out of step with our months, and results in an additional, or ‘blue,’ full moon. Normally, there are three full moons in a season, but when a fourth occurs, the third is referred to as a blue moon. This infrequency is the origin of the saying ‘once in a blue moon’.
A supermoon occurs when the moon is at its closest point to the earth in its orbit, known as perigee, and therefore appears larger and brighter. This is the first of four supermoons this year, with the others due in September, October, which will be the closest full moon to Earth this year, and November.
The blue supermoon will be at its brightest at 19:25 BST on Monday but clouds may prevent many from seeing it. The moon will be rising in the east at around 20:50 BST and setting in the west on Tuesday at around 06:35. While the weather forecast for the UK is partly cloudy with some showers, there could be some clear spells at times during the night. On Tuesday night, the moon will not be fully illuminated but will look almost full, which increases the likelihood of observing it under clear weather conditions.
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