New Delhi: On the evening of August 30th, the sky will be graced by the rare ‘once in a blue moon’ celestial phenomenon. On this auspicious day, we will celebrate Raksha Bandhan throughout the day and gaze at the year’s largest and brightest full moon tonight.

What is a Blue Moon?

There are two types of blue moons, but none of them has anything to do with the colour blue. According to NASA, the third full moon in a season with four full moons is considered a blue moon because it conforms to the traditional definition of a blue moon. The term “blue moon,” on the other hand, was coined as a result of a misconception of the original meaning and refers to a second full moon that occurs inside the same calendar month.

Here’s a nice video discussing the Super Blue moon pic.twitter.com/K2GeYr9PNb

— ArcanaPost (@ArcanaPost) August 30, 2023

Time and Date’s view that a blue moon occurs once per month is widely shared and no longer regarded as a myth. The Moon goes through its phases every 29.5 days, which means that 12 full cycles take 354 days. There is only around a 13th full moon every 2.5 years since there are only about 366 days in a year. Since it deviates from the norm, this extra full moon is referred to as a “blue moon.”

How often does a Blue Moon occur?

It’s not often that you see a blue moon. Every 29 days has a full moon. Since most months consist of 30 or 31 days, a given month may have two full moons. About once every two years and a half are when we see a blue moon. Two blue moons, one of which was a lunar eclipse, occurred within two months of each other in 2018. This rare pairing of a blue moon and a supermoon will not occur again for another 14 years, not until January and March 2037.

The last rare Super Blue moon until 2037 will take place tomorrow, August 30th. pic.twitter.com/FsfFrnBJ0E

— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 29, 2023

When to Watch?

According to the most up-to-date official information found online, the Super Blue Moon of 2023 will be visible on the evening of August 30 and the morning of August 31. All three of these lunar phenomena—a full moon, a supermoon, and a blue moon—are occurring at the same time.

The rare Super Blue Moon rises on Aug. 30 and you can watch it online for free https://t.co/JIITmHHKFg pic.twitter.com/HYOfcBS1Th

— SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) August 29, 2023

The Super Blue Moon will be seen after sunset. Today, the Super Blue Moon will be at its brightest at 8:37 p.m. EDT.

Europe’s view of the moon is a little delayed, and on August 31 they will get another opportunity to see it. At 8:24 p.m. BST (London time), you may get a glimpse of the Super Blue Moon. The best time to see the moon on Thursday is around 1:37 am BST (that’s 9:36 am ET or 7:06 am IST). At 7:45 p.m. EDT, New Yorkers may tune in.

Where to Watch Live?

On Thursday, August 31 at 3:30 p.m. GMT, the event will also be broadcast live on The Virtual Telescope Project. The event will be broadcast live in India at 9:00 am IST.