Stargazers in Ontario are in for a treat Tuesday night as one of two supermoons makes an appearance ahead of a rare super blue moon later this month.
The first supermoon, known as the sturgeon moon according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, will start rising at about 9:15 p.m. in the southeast and appear slightly bigger and brighter than a typical full moon.
“About 10 p.m. is a great time to look out, look east where the moon is rising, it should be above the horizon in most places,” Walter Stoddard, a researcher and programmer at the Ontario Science Centre, told CTV News Toronto.
A supermoon, defined by NASA, occurs when the moon's orbit is closest to Earth at the same time it is full. That’s definitely the case with Tuesday night’s sturgeon moon, which will be more than 25,000 kilometres closer than its usual at 357,530 kilometres away,
“When it’s next to the horizon, you can see it in its true glory. It’s next to trees, it’s next to a lamp post, it’s next to houses, and you can see how big it really is and so it will be a beautiful sight,” Stoddard added.
Tuesday night’s full moon serves as an opening act for an even bigger lunar show later this month. On Aug. 30, what’s known as a super blue moon will be visible, weather permitting.
At that time, the moon will be even closer at 357,344 kilometres away.
Binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the viewing experience of the cosmic event that won’t reoccur for another nine years, said Stoddard
“A couple of schedules have to line up: you have your 27-day rotation of the moon around the earth and your 29-day phase where you go from full moon to new moon to full again. And so, those things have to get in line again for another blue moon that is also a supermoon,” he said.
