'Once in a Blue Moon': Here's how you can witness the rare celestial event today

Skygazers are in for a treat as a rare celestial event called the ‘Blue Moon’ will grace the night sky today. Today, the moon will be the brightest and largest. It is also the only time it will be the closest to Earth. The term ‘Blue Moon’ does not describe the moon’s colour. It instead refers to two full moon occurrences in a single month. The first full moon occurred on August 1. The event occurs “once in a blue moon”, meaning it is rare and special.

What’s better than a #BlueMoon? A Super Blue Moon! 🌕💙

While Perigee Full Moons occur annually, Perigee Blue Moons are surprisingly rare! The next one won’t occur until December 2115. So, remember to look up on the night of Wednesday, August 30! pic.twitter.com/HL5j4Skfk0

— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) August 23, 2023

Today’s moon will be the largest of the four supermoons occurring this year. It will be only 3,57,344 kilometers away from our planet. In India, the celestial event also coincides with Raksha Bandhan, a festival to celebrate the bond between brothers and sisters. When and how to watch Blue Moon in India? The Blue Moon will be at its peak brightness at 9:30 pm in India. The moon will set at around 6:46 am EDT on Thursday. To get the perfect sight of the moon, one should catch a glimpse during dusk hours, shortly after the sun sets. Meanwhile, those looking at the moon can also spot Saturn as it will swing clockwise around the moon as the evening progresses, according to NASA. The next Blue Moon will only occur after 14 years, so try not to miss it!