On the night of Monday to Tuesday, the “super blue moon” appeared in the sky, offering the lucky ones some stunning photos.
A breathtaking spectacle. On the night of Monday, August 19, several observers, located in the four corners of the planet, had the chance to contemplate the fabulous “super blue moon” rising in the sky.
If the color of the satellite is actually the same, the night star takes this name from its lunar phase. Indeed, it is the third full moon of the seasonexplains the American space agency (NASA), where by definition the visible face of the Moon, from Earth, appears entirely illuminated by the Sun.
The Moon is also called “super” because This new full moon coincides with the moment when our natural satellitewhich follows the trajectory of an ellipse (an oval), is at the point of its orbit closest to Earth, at a distance of about 363,000 kilometers. The Moon will therefore appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than usual.
The Moon as close as possible to the monuments
On the night of Monday to Tuesday, the blue moon lit up several famous places on the planet, such as here in Istanbul (Turkey) where it rivaled the lights of the July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge and the Camlıca Mosque.
A super blue moon rises behind the 15th July Martyrs Bridge and Camlıca Mosque in Istanbul on August 19, 2024. © Kemal ASLAN / AFPA
A few kilometers away, the blue moon rose behind the Dome of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem (Israel), a sacred sanctuary erected at the end of the 7th century on the Temple Mount.
A super blue moon rises behind the Dome of the Rock mosque in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, August 19, 2024. © RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP
The few walkers in the central square of Beirut (Lebanon) were also able to see this extraordinary full moon, appearing just behind the statue of the Martyrs.
The super blue moon rises behind the Beirut Martyrs Statue in the Lebanese capital on August 19, 2024. © ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Under the flares of the oil field in the port city of Basra (Iraq), the Moon surprisingly appeared to be on fire.
A super blue moon rises over flares at an oil field near the southern port city of Basra on August 19, 2024. © Hussein FALEH / AFP
In Europe this time, the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City (Italy) posed right next to this red star suspended in the sky.
This photo taken in Rome shows the Super Blue Moon rising over the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, on August 19, 2024. © Tiziana Fabi / AFP
Further north, the Swedes admired the satellite rising peacefully behind the municipality of Nacka in Stockholm.
People watch the Super Blue Moon rise behind Nacka, in Stockholm, on August 19, 2024. © Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP
Not far away, in the blue of the Copenhagen (Denmark) night, the Moon has aligned itself, in perfect symmetry with a building in the city.
The Super Blue Moon rises over Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 19, 2024. © Thomas Traasdahl / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP
Finally, it seemed to cast a shadow over the buildings of the Lujiazui business district in Shanghai (China). Several passers-by stopped to take pictures of the night star.
People take pictures of the full moon, also known as the super blue moon, in the Lujiazui financial district of Shanghai on August 19, 2024. © Hector RETAMAL / AFPA
With the sun setting around 9pm in France, the “super blue moon” should be observable from mainland France, at least in the first part of the night. Météo France assures that the sky will even be clear, with no clouds to play spoilsport.
If you don’t see the moon from your window tonight, don’t worry. The moon will remain full until Wednesday morning, NASA announces.
