Take a look up to the heavens and you’ll see a big ol’ supermoon light up the sky over Beaufort, SC this week. The first of TWO full moons during the month of August also marks the second of four supermoons in a row in 2023.
The Sturgeon Supermoon is set to light up the night sky on Tuesday when its at its closest point and visible to skywatchers provided the weather remains clear.
It will be almost as large as 2023’s biggest supermoon, which will be the next full moon, rising on August 30th. Yes, the Sturgeon Supermoon is also the first of two full moons in August, making the August 30th full supermoon also a somewhat rare Blue Moon.
Also appearing bright and full on Monday and Wednesday, August’s full moon is most commonly named after North America’s prolific sturgeon family of fish, which are found in the Great Lakes at this time of year.
The Sturgeon Moon will be at its fullest at 1:33pm EDT on Tuesday, August 1st. From Beaufort, SC, it will be best seen as it rises in the east that evening As it appears, the moon will be over 99% illuminated as it rises in the east at dusk, opposite the setting sun.
At its peak, the Sturgeon Moon will be 222,023 miles (357,311 kilometers) from Earth’s center, making it the second-largest supermoon of 2023, behind the upcoming August Blue Moon.
Just after summer 2023 draws to a close on September 23rd, so too does this festival of supermoons, which ends on September 28th with the rise of September’s Full Corn Moon when the moon will be 224,657 miles (361,552 km) from Earth.
The Full Corn Moon will also mark the final supermoon of 2023, with the next supermoon scheduled to fall on Sept. 18, 2024.
Supermoons by definition happen “when a full moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point known as perigee,” according to NASA.
“During every 27-day orbit around Earth, the Moon reaches both its perigee, about 226,000 miles (363,300 km) from Earth, and its farthest point, or apogee, about 251,000 miles (405,500 km) from Earth.”
Supermoons in general appear 17% bigger and 30% brighter than when the moon is at its farthest point away from Earth, according to NASA. Supermoons are slightly bigger and brighter than most full moons, too. Just because it’s bigger and brighter doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see it unaided, so binoculars may give you a better view.
Enjoy the view of the supermoon, Beaufort, SC!
