KARACHI: Skywatchers who love feasting their eyes on celestial beauty at night have a breathtaking heavenly event coming up today [August 19], when a super blue moon will brighten up the sky in Pakistan for the first time this year. The fascinating sight comes just one year after a Sturgeon moon lit up the skies on August 1 and a super blue moon enthralled the world with its awe-inspiring sight on August 30 last year. According to the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) on Sunday, the blue moon would take place in Pakistan today at 11:26pm — the first supermoon to take place this year.
The next three supermoons will occur on September 18, October 17 and November 15, it added. While sailing in its orbit when the moon comes closest to Earth, i.e.
363,300 kilometres, it shines 30% more brightly and appears 14% bigger. This is when it is called a supermoon. A supermoon is not an official astronomical term.
However, a 'supermoon' is a full moon that occurs when the moon's orbit brings it closer to Earth. Every month brings a full moon. However, sometimes, there are two moons in a single month of the lunar calendar.
When this phenomenon occurs, the second moon is called a Blue Moon. However, the name has nothing to do with the blue colour. The name Blue Moon is confusing as stargazers question why it is being called a Blue Moon if it is the first and the only full moon to grace August's night sky this year.
Astronomers explain that the term 'blue moon' actually describes an event when there are multiple full moons in a given period. There are two kinds of blue moons, they added, saying a 'seasonal blue moon' is the third moon in a season that has four. Meanwhile, a blue moon is also when it is the second full moon within the same calendar month.
Hence, this year's blue moon is the 'third full moon in a season of four'..
