Not one, but two supermoons in one month? That's right, we began and will end the month of August this year with some amazing celestrial spectacles in the night sky! This time around, it is considered a blue moon, and unfortunately, it is not actually blue... disappointing, I know. It is still pretty sweet though, as this full moon will be as close to the earth as they get. This means the moon will appear slightly larger and brighter than usual, acting as a big nightlight up there, illuminating the ground in its eerie hue. It's the closest full moon we'll see this year, and it is very special for a few other reasons too. 

So, keep your eyes on the skies Wednesday night into Thursday, as this blue supermoon should (hopefully) be visible starting around 9:30pm on the 30th.  Looking at the weather, the NOAA is predicting partly cloudy skies in our area for the overnight, so it's 50/50 odds at the time of writing this. I'm optimistic, and worst case scenario I'll check it out on Thursday with the clear sky forecasted, as the casual stargazer like me apparently cannot tell the difference anyways. 

This full moon is also known as the Sturgeon moon, since fishing is traditionally considered bountiful at this point in the year. Some nighttime catfishing sure sounds like a lot of fun in the glow of a supermoon. For this one in particular, the moon will make a close approach to the planet Saturn, also. If you've got a telescope gathering dust in the corner, this is the time to set it up, if ever. It has been over two years since the last one, and our next isn't until May of 2026. Further, the next blue supermoon is not expected until 2037! So yeah, this is pretty significant. I mean... it's once in a blue moon, right? 

Special shoutout goes to blue moon ice cream, one of my all-time favorite flavors. Maybe I'll get one later on today to celebrate the occasion!