A rare spectacle began Sunday night as an August supermoon blue moon rose into the sky.
The first of 2024’s four consecutive supermoons, the blue moon will reach peak illumination on Monday and will shine brightly through Wednesday.
According to NASA, 100% of the moon’s nearside will be illuminated on Monday, and 99% will be illuminated on Tuesday.
Here are some photos of the rare phenomenon from around the world.
An aircraft passes in front of the moon, with a red glow attributable to smoke particles carried in the upper atmosphere from North American wildfires, a day ahead of the full super moon, as seen from Parliament Hill in London, Britain, Aug. 18, 2024. / Credit: Toby Melville/REUTERS
A rare blue supermoon appears in the night sky over Sydney on Aug. 19, 2024. / Credit: SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images
Two women watch a nearly full supermoon rise over the Tagus River from the roof of the Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 18, 2024. / Credit: Armando Franca/AP
People view the moon as it rises, with a red glow attributable to smoke particles carried in the upper atmosphere from North American wildfires, a day ahead of the full super moon, at Parliament Hill in London, Britain, on Aug. 18, 2024. / Credit: Toby Melville/REUTERS
The first supermoon of 2024 rises on the evening of Aug. 19, 2024 in Yichang, Hubei Province, China. / Credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
The supermoon is seen in the clouds above the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, on the evening of Aug. 19, 2024. / Credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
A sturgeon moon, the first supermoon of the year, rises next to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore on August 19, 2024. / Credit: Edgar Su/REUTERS
August’s full moon is the first of four consecutive supermoons this year. The September full moon – known as the Harvest Moon – will reach peak illumination on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
The Hunter’s Moon will peak on Thursday, Oct. 17 and the final supermoon – known as the Beaver Moon – will peak on Friday, Nov. 15.
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Nicole Fink is a writer who covers all the big issues of our time: politics, health, business, parenting, and finance. She's also passionate about her hobbies—which include listening to podcasts, watching Netflix with her cat, and binge eating chocolate.
