IRISH stargazers have the last chance to capture the "extremely rare" blue supermoon in the skies tonight. The lunar event will end in the skies above Ireland tonight, and we have some tips for you to prepare for the supermoon - including the best time to see it and tips on how to capture the phenomenon. The blue supermoon is "extremely rare", hence the saying, "once in a blue moon".
It will appear against the backdrop of an exaggerated red sunset. NASA stated that "it will not look blue", the term "blue moon" was first recorded of use in English dates from 1528 - some 496 years ago. And there might be a chance to capture the minor meteor showers during the night if lucky, NASA has revealed.
The super moon happens when the Moon's orbit is closest to Earth at the same time when the moon is completely illuminated by the sun's rays. And when there are two full moons in one month, the second full moon is usually called a blue moon. Experts warn that this phenomenon is so rare that it will not happen again until 2032.
This means if you miss the incredible lunar event tonight, you will have to wait almost a decade to see it happen again. Astronomy Ireland has explained that the moon's distance from the Earth can vary by 15 per cent, causing the moon to illuminate brighter. When the moon is nearer to Earth , it's known as a super moon, which can cause a 30 per cent change in brightness.
And there will be four supermoons left to see this year, with Harvest Moon, Hunter's Moon, Beaver.