Starwatch: August’s second supermoon the largest this year
by Stuart Clark from Science | The Guardian on (#6E7GW)
Lunar spectacle also qualifies as a blue moon by some definitions
The second full moon of the month occurs this week. The first took place on 1 August, but this second coming will grace the skies on 31 August.
Because it is the second full supermoon in the month, it is also called a blue moon - although definitions for blue moons vary. The above definition is known as a monthly blue moon but some prefer what is known as a seasonal blue moon. This is the third full moon in a season that contains four full moons - so the blue moon may not be the second of the month.
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