Blue Moon supermoon will shine on S'pore on Aug. 19 night

Free tonight? Be sure to find a spot outdoors so that you can catch a "special" Blue Moon supermoon that will not re-occur until May 2027.

The Sturgeon Moon, a supermoon that will be visible in August, will begin rising at around 7pm and reach "an easily appreciable height" at around 9pm on Aug. 19 in Singapore, according to the Science Centre Observatory.

The moon will reach its highest point in the sky at around 1am on Aug. 20.

The upcoming supermoon is considered special because it is also a seasonal Blue Moon, which refers to the third full moon in an astronomical season where there are four full moons instead of the usual three.

The last seasonal blue moon took place three years ago in August 2021.

360,000km from Earth at its closest

According to the observatory, the Sturgeon Moon will be approximately 360,000km from Earth at its closest.

The average distance between the moon and Earth is 384,400km, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.

As such, you will be able to view the supermoon with your naked eye anywhere in Singapore unless tonight is particularly cloudy (knocks wood x 3),

However, for "an unobstructed and potentially elevated view of the Sturgeon Moon with panoramic views of the city skyline", the observatory recommends visiting open public areas like East Coast Park and Marina Barrage.

Next supermoon in October

Busy tonight? You can still catch three more supermoons this year, provided that the skies are clear and you have an unobstructed view.

The next supermoons will occur respectively on Sep. 18 (the day after Mid-Autumn Festival 2024), Oct. 17, and Nov. 15.

Their approximate distance from Earth is 357,000km for the first two supermoons and 361,000km for the final supermoon.

Fly me to the moon

Top image by Ilyda Chua/Mothership