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Watch Out for the Rare Seasonal Blue Moon This Weekend, With Guest Appearances

Whatever you’re planning to do this weekend, make sure to set aside some time to watch the full moon, which also happens to be a blue one. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to find the right time, since this is an entire blue moon weekend, with special appearances by Saturn and Jupiter.
This 2018 Super Blood Blue Moon was the third in a series of supermoons. 6 photos
Photo: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
2018 Lunar Eclipse in Abu DhabiWaxing MoonPlanet OppositionPerseid Meteor ShowerAugust 22 Full Moon
Depending on where you live, you might be able to spot the moon appearing to be full as soon as Friday night. This is when the full moon weekend officially kicks off, with Sunday being the day of the main event (for most of the Earth). On August 22, Sunday morning, the moon will appear opposite the sun at 8:02 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), and will continue to be visible until Monday morning.

If last month’s full moon was expected to have an unusual orange tint, August’s full moon won’t look blue, as much as we would like that. Although the origin of this term is still shrouded in mystery, most of us are familiar with the “once in a blue moon” expression, used to depict a rare occurrence. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), it was in the 1940s when the second full in a month started being known as a blue moon, even though the term itself is much older.

Technically speaking, this Sunday we’re about to see a seasonal blue moon, which is the third one of four during this season. Every astronomical season typically has three full moons, but every two-and-a-half or three years, we’ll get one that has four. So, this is a different definition of a blue moon, which people usually know as being the second full moon in a month that has two. Nevertheless, it’s just as special.

This month, we also had the chance to watch the famous Perseid meteor shower, and it’s a great time to see Saturn and Jupiter. If you’d like to keep an eye out for them, keep in mind that Saturn will be visible near the full moon on Saturday morning, while Jupiter will become the brightest planet next to it, starting Saturday evening, and will stay that way throughout Sunday.

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About the author: Otilia Drăgan
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Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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