The biggest and brightest full Moon of 2024 so far has been visible in the sky the past couple of nights and photographers have been out capturing the rare Blue Supermoon also known as the Sturgeon Moon.
Both Martland and Gary Hershorn were in and around New York City to capture the Sturgeon Moon rising over the iconic Big Apple skyline.
Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy may be better known for shooting celestial objects further away than the Moon but he didn’t pass up the chance to shoot the rare Blue Supermoon.
Why Was This Week’s Blue Supermoon Unusual?
Most people know that a Blue Moon occurs when there are two full Moons in one month.
But this was not the case with last night’s Moon, so why is it still called a Blue Moon?
Live Science notes that last night was another type of Blue Moon known as a seasonal Blue Moon which occurs when there are four full Moons in an astronomical season — the third one is the Blue Moon.
The next seasonal Blue Moon is eight years away and the next monthly Blue Moon won’t be until May 31, 2026.
Over the past few evenings, the largest and brightest full Moon of 2024 has been visible in the sky, and photographers have been out to capture the rare Blue Supermoon, also known as the Sturgeon Moon.
Even though it reached its maximum on August 19, it was still striking last night when Saturn underwent a rare lunar occultation. From his Birmingham, United States, backyard, photographer Tim Cornbill captured the unusual occurrence. G. Early this morning, early hours.
On his Instagram page, Cornbill posts, “[It was] amazing to see them in the same frame and to see the planet disappear behind the Moon and then popping back out the other side 45 minutes later.”.
From the United States, the occultation was not visible. Rather, observers in North America, Australia, and Asia witnessed the pair rising together in a phenomenon called conjunction. A timelapse of the Supermoon rising above midtown Manhattan was taken by photographer Dan Martland. It shows Saturn ascending parallel to Earth’s natural satellite.
The Supermoon was an amazing sight to behold on its own. Gary Hershorn and Martland were both in and around New York City when they managed to get pictures of the Sturgeon Moon rising over the famous Manhattan skyline.
Photographer Alexandros Maragos took a breathtaking picture of the Sturgeon Moon rising behind the historic Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion, Greece, while he was back across the Atlantic.
Back on the East Coast, Dan Martland took advantage of his location in New Jersey to create an enormous image of the Supermoon above Manhattan using a Sony 600mm lens on his Sony Alpha 1.
Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy seized the opportunity to capture the unique Blue Supermoon, even though he is more well-known for photographing celestial objects farther away from the Moon.
How Come the Blue Supermoon This Week Was Different?
Most individuals are aware that when there are two full moons in a month, it is called a Blue Moon. But why is the Moon from last night still referred to as a Blue Moon when that was not the case?
According to Live Science, there was a seasonal blue moon last night, which is another kind of blue moon that happens when there are four full moons in a season of the sky, with the blue moon occurring on the third.
Full Moons are due on June 22 and July 21, respectively, since the summer solstice on June 20. The fourth full moon is scheduled for September 18, which falls right before the equinox on September 22.
In eight years, there won’t be another seasonal Blue Moon, and not until May 31, 2026, will there be a monthly Blue Moon.
