Photo: AFP
Release date: Monday, August 19, 2024, 11:56 AM
A “blue” supermoon will rise in the UAE tonight (Monday, August 19), lighting up the sky for three nights. A supermoon is when a full moon coincides with the time when the moon is closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit.
Although tonight’s lunar sight will lack color, it will be what’s known as a “blue moon,” meaning the third full moon in a season of four full moons.
When this happens, the moon appears brighter and larger than usual.
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“A supermoon is usually visible for two to three nights, reaching its peak brightness and size (tonight) when the moon is closest to the Earth. However, the nights around the peak will be almost full and will still be impressive,” Khadija Ahmad, operations manager at Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG), told Khaleej Times.
When does the moon rise?
Mohammed Shaukat Odeh, director general of the Abu Dhabi-based International Astronomy Centre, said the supermoon will rise just after sunset, resulting in the lunar disk appearing slightly larger when viewed from Earth.
Best Spot
Khadija said the supermoon will be visible across the country: “The best places are open spaces where you can see the moon clearly, high places, or near water where you can see the moon’s reflection on the water.”
DAG will also be hosting paid events at City Walk where astronomers will help visitors take photos on their cell phones through telescopes.
This is the third celestial event to light up the UAE’s skies this month. On August 12, the Perseid meteor shower reached its peak, sending hundreds of shooting stars across the night sky. On August 15, Mars and Jupiter came very close to each other.
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