Last Super Blue Moon until 2037 lights up skies around the world (photos)
The Super Blue Moon — one of the biggest and brightest moons of the year — rose on Aug. 30; inspiring skywatchers around the world to reach for their cameras and capture some incredible photographs.
The last Super Blue Moon for 14 years rose over the eastern horizon in the Aquarius constellation just after sunset tonight at around 7:10 p.m. EDT (2310 GMT). It then set just before sunrise on Thursday, Aug. 31 at around 06:46 EDT (1046 GMT).
The latest full moon is referred to as a Blue Moon, a term that can represent one of two things: Either the third full moon in a season that has four full moons; or, more commonly, the second of two full moons that fall in a calendar month. And similar to the previous full moon on Aug. 1, this Blue Moon was a “supermoon,” a popular term for a full moon that occurs when our natural satellite is closer to Earth, making it appear just slightly larger and brighter in the sky.
Related: Supermoon secrets: 7 surprising big moon facts
Here we’ve rounded up some of the best Super Blue Moon photos from around the world.
Below, the Super Blue Moon rises above the Apollo Temple in ancient Corinth, Greece.
The Super Blue Moon rising behind the Royal Liver Building, Liverpool, U.K.
Amateur photographer Soumyadeep Mukherjee, based in Kolkata, India, captured two remarkable photos of the Super Blue Moon.
“Regarding the moonrise image, I had planned it earlier with the help of a photo planning app, however, I was not sure about the weather.” Mukherjee told Space.com in an email. “The weather did turn out to be a bit hazy with scattered clouds, but I was happy that I was able to get the shot.”
“For the image of the moon and Saturn, it wasn’t planned. The sky was still cloudy, but this time, it actually helped with the soft glow of moon and Saturn.” Mukherjee continued.
In the dramatic image below, the rare Blue Moon rises behind ‘The Victor’ (‘Pobednik’ in Serbian) monument in Belgrade, Serbia.
The Super Blue Moon looks delightful as it rises behind the ‘Tianjin Eye’ Ferris wheel on August 30, 2023, in Tianjin, China.
In the image below the Super Blue Moon rises over the Statue of Liberty in New York, U.S.
Below is a stunning time-lapse image captured by Sergio Conceiçao showing the Super Blue Moon over the Juromenha Fortress, in Alentejo, Portugal.
“For many years the fortress was abandoned, with some parts of the monument even collapsing,” Conceiçao told Space.com in an email.
Conceiçao started planning this image about a year ago. The time-lapse was created with a separation of 2.5 minutes.
“In honor of the monument and also to all those who are contributing to its recovery, it was possible to create this image”, Conceiçao continued.
In the image below, the Full Moon rises above buildings in Havana, Cuba.
The Super Blue Moon as seen in the sky over the Albert Hall Museum, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Baseball fans will enjoy this photo of the almost full moon photobombing Alex Cobb #38 of the San Francisco Giants pitching against the Cincinnati Reds, in the fifth inning at Oracle Park on Aug. 29, 2023.
The Super Blue Moon also paid the Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes a visit at PayPal Park on August 30, 2023, in San Jose, California, U.S.
José Zarcos Palma caught this remarkable composition image of the Super Blue Moon above Mina S. Domingos, Mertola, Portugal.
Palma told Space.com he had set two personal requirements for this image:
1. A subject to catch the eye in the foreground in this case, the little village.
2. A subject less distracting for middle ground in this case the windmills and the moon as the main subject covering most of the background.
“After a local search and using Google Earth and planning the shot with Photo Pills I came up with this image that reflects the beauty of this outstanding astronomical event,” Palma told Space.com in an email.
The shots of the moon were stacked and blended with the foreground using Photoshop and the image of the foreground was captured later.
Below, the rare supermoon rises over the Roca Vecchia Tower in Roca Vecchia, Lecce, Italy, on August 30, 2023.
Below, the full moon shines above the July 15 Martyrs Bridge (Bosphorus Bridge) in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Super Blue Moon behind a Ferris wheel at Stokes Hill Wharf in the Northern Territory capital city of Darwin, Australia.
The Full Moon shines low in the sky over the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
The rare Full Moon shines brightly above the Golden Gate Bridge, in San Francisco, California, U.S.
The Full Blue Supermoon peeks out from behind the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on Aug. 31.
Allen Berman captured this 1.5-second exposure of the Super Blue Moon next to the spinning Ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier, California, U.S.
“The Ferris wheel is famous for its solar-powered LED light displays. I thought this would be a festive take on tonight’s beautiful moon.” Berman told Space.com in an email.
If all this full moon content has inspired you to take a more in-depth moonlit tour of our rocky companion our ultimate guide to observing the moon will help you plan your next skywatching venture whether it be exploring the lunar seas, mountainous terrain, or the many craters that blanket the landscape. You can also see where astronauts, rovers and landers have ventured with our Apollo landing sites observing guide.
If you’re looking for a telescope or binoculars to observe the moon, our guides for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals now can help. Our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can also help you prepare to capture the next skywatching sight on your own.
Editor’s Note: If you snap a photo of the moon and would like to share it with Space.com’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to [email protected].
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