Rare Blue Supermoon Will Be Visible Across New York

This week New Yorkers will have a chance to see something that only happens once every couple of years.

This week a Blue Supermoon will appear in the sky over the Empire State. This supermoon will also be the brightest of 2023 since the moon is the closest to Earth it has been all year.

This week's Blue Supermoon will appear about 17% bigger and 30% brighter than a normal full moon.

WHAT IS A SUPERMOON?

A Supermoon happens when the moon's orbit is the closest to the Earth and it makes the moon look larger than on a normal night.

HOW OFTEN DO SUPERMOONS HAPPEN?

In an average year, a Supermoon will happen three or four times, which makes this month so special since there are two Supermoons in August.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VIEW THE SUPERMOON?

The best time to view a supermoon is at moonrise or at moonset when the moon is closest to the horizon. Moonrise on Wednesday night is predicted to be around 7:45 pm and Moonset will Thursday morning around 6:42 am.

WILL THERE BE A SUPERMOON AFTER THE MONTH OF AUGUST?

Yes. There will be another Supermoon in September. That Supermoon is expected to occur on September 29th.

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WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE FULL MOON?

Besides Supermoons, there are other versions of the full moons that you can see. There are Harvest moons, Blue moons, and Blood moons. Each of these moons got their names based on how they looked.

Harvest Moons - These moons are full moons that occur near the autumnal equinox.

Blue Moons  - This moon is not based on color, but a Blue Moon is the second full moon of a month. This month's Supermoon on August 30th would also be considered a Blue Moon

Blood Moons - Blood moons happen when the Earth's moon is in a total lunar eclipse.

Check out some amazing photos people have captured of full moons.