DALLAS — On Monday night, North Texans will have the chance to witness something cool… and it only happens once in a blue moon (had to do it, sorry!). A full moon, both “super” and “blue,” will illuminate the night sky. This phenomenon of a "super blue moon," takes place when the cycles of both a supermoon and blue moon coincide on the calendar.
What’s a “supermoon?”
What exactly makes a moon super? A supermoon happens when the moon's orbit brings it closest to Earth. That makes it appear larger and brighter than usual… but not by much. Usually, the appearance in size is increased by about 10%-15%. When the moon is lowest in the horizon (moonrise and moonset) it will look its biggest.
Is the moon sad when it’s blue?
No. Nor is it really blue! A blue moon is the second full moon occurring within a single calendar month. OR... in this case, it's the 4th full moon of the season. That accounts for about 3% of full moons. That’s where the saying “once in a blue moon” comes from. It doesn’t come around very often.
The rarity of having both happen at the same time adds an extra layer of fun to this event. DFW moonrise Monday is 8:27 pm in the southeastern sky. Don’t forget to send us pictures!
P.S. The full supermoon of September 18, 2024, will be a Super Harvest Moon. It will also have a partial lunar eclipse, so mark your calendars!