(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – This August 30-31st full moon is an extraordinary combination of a supermoon and a blue moon. As a result of the full moon occurring when the moon is at its closest to the Earth in its orbit, the moon will be 14% bigger and 30% brighter than some of the other full moons that we have seen in the past. When a full moon takes place while the moon is near its closest approach to Earth, it is called a Super Full Moon or a Supermoon. On 2023 August 31st at 7.05 a.m., the moon will be closest to the Earth with a distance of 357,344 km from the earth. The moon won’t get any closer to us until November 2025. Size and brightness of the full moons on poya days vary slightly from month to month because of the non-circular but elliptical shape of the moon’s orbit around the earth with the closest distance of moon to the earth (“perigee”) being about 50,000 km closer than the furthest distance (“apogee”).
When two full moons fall on the same month the second full moon is called the blue moon. This is just a name and the moon actualy does not appear in blue colour.
Though you can see the full moon from 30th dusk after the sun-set in the eastern skies, the best time to observe this super blue moon is 31st pre-dawn period before the sunrise, watch western skies to see the big moon with ringed bright Saturn, which is at opposition these days, closer to the moon. If you miss this opportunity, you’ll have to wait until January and March 2037 for the next super blue moons, said Prof. Chandana Jayaratne of University of Colombo.
There will be somewhat high tide on this day due to the closeness of the moon but no earthquakes or other natural disasters has reported in the past on similar occasions, though there are rumors spreading about onset of natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones said Prof. Jayaratne.
