The next full moon is a rare supermoon blue moon, also nicknamed the sturgeon moon
The next full moon is a supermoon blue moon and will be visible August 19th beginning at 12:26 MDT. Optimal viewing conditions will be overnight Monday into Tuesday, but the moon will appear full both the day before and after its peak (August 18th-20th).
The moon will have several nicknames on August 19th: full moon, supermoon, blue moon and sturgeon moon.
A supermoon occurs when the Moon's orbit is closest to Earth at the same time the Moon is full, according to NASA. This causes the moon to appear 14% larger than normal, which is visible to the naked eye. It will also appear roughly 30% brighter.
A full moon occurs when the moon appears fully illuminated from our perspective on Earth. The sun and moon are perfectly aligned on oppsite sides, leading to full illumination.
Once in a blue moon... the blue moon will rise. This moon gets its name from its rarity, only occurring every two-and-a-half-years. A blue moon is not blue and appears no different than any other full moon. A blue moon is the term for when we see the full moon twice in one month, according to NASA. They also added that a full moon that happens on the 1st or 2nd of a month will probably be followed by a second full moon on the 30th or 31st. This happens every two to three years.
The sturgeon moon is the name of the full moon in August. It is named after the many sturgeon fish found in the Great Lakes around this time of year.
