Stargazers are preparing for a rare event this month - with a blue moon set to appear for the last time this decade.
A second supermoon of the month is set to appear this week in an event that will not occur again until the 2030s.But it is also expected to raise tides above normal, worsening the impact of Hurricane Idalia.
A supermoon is a full moon which appears larger in the sky because it is closer to the Earth.Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida as DeSantis urges residents to 'hunker down' in face of 'unprecedented' stormAir traffic control chaos caused by 'unusual piece of data' as frustrated Brits face two week wait to get homeDespite its name, a blue moon does not appear blue - though it is possible if there has been major disruption to the Earth’s atmosphere. Dr Greg Brown, astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich said: "The most common definition of a blue moon is that it is the second full moon in one calendar month." Nasa previously said: "The key to a blue moon is having in the air lots of particles slightly wider than the wavelength of red light – and no other sizes present.With extreme weather conditions having caused several wildfires across the world, there is a chance that it will appear blue.Picture: AlamyThe upcoming supermoon is expected to raise tides higher than usual due to its intensified gravitational pull - just as Hurricane Idalia hits Florida's west coast. "The timing is pretty bad for this one," Brian Haines, the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service office in Charleston, South Carolina, said.Rare super blue moon set to delight stargazersThe even bigger supermoon - the blue moon - is set to be visible from Thursday.The peak of the full moon - when the near side of it is completely lit up by the sun is at 2.35am on Friday morning.The best time to catch a glimpse is when your local conditions are best suited to a clear sky - low cloud cover, favourable weather, and no obstructions on the horizon - such as buildings or trees. Astronomer Professor Don Pollacco, department of physics, University of Warwick, said: "One of the flukes of nature is that the apparent size of the moon can be very similar to that of the sun.He added: "To see the full moon, look east after sunset. If you have a clear horizon it should be obvious. "The moon is so bright that we can see it when it's not particularly dark or even if the weather isn't particularly clear.
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