2023-08-31 14:29:27
The super blue moon phenomenon which took place on the night of Wednesday to Thursday did not have the color that one would have expected from reading its name, the phenomenon is explained by The voice of the North.
In August there were two full moons. The first took place on the 2nd, and the second this Wednesday, August 30, 2023. And when it happens, as is the case quite regularly (a lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, compared to 30 or 31 for a month), the second time there is a full moon in the same month, it is called the blue moon.
What makes the event exceptional is that the blue moon phenomenon is coupled with another: the supermoon. The Moon revolves around the Earth, but not in a perfect circle. When it is closest to us, we speak of the perigee point: it is the supermoon, there are four of them in 2023, and the fourth which will arrive in September. The super moons therefore appear much larger in the sky: NASA evokes a difference of 14%. Its proximity can also make it look a little brighter, it is up to 30% brighter according to NASA.
The super moon and blue moon conjugation is rather rare: the next one will be in 2037.
But then why is it orange?
The name blue moon therefore has no connection with the color of the star on those nights. And if the moon appeared orange, like during a sunset, it was because it was low on the horizon. Because blue and purple lights have a shorter wavelength, they are scattered by air particles, allowing longer red, yellow or orange wavelengths to pass, NASA explains.
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