August to Bring Two Supermoons Above New York State

As we enter August, be on the lookout for not one, but two supermoons that will light up the night skies above New York. The first arrives right at the beginning of the month, while the second comes right at the end.

The first supermoon of 2023 rose on July 3, and the next two events will provide a midway point for lunar viewing.

Scientists say the second supermoon will be the "closest, biggest, and brightest full supermoon of 2023.' The next time we’ll have a closer full supermoon is November 5, 2025, according to The Farmer's Almanac.

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What is a Supermoon? 

Supermoons occur when the Earth aligns with the Moon and Sun as the perigee (closer) side of the Moon is facing us, and the Moon happens to be on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. Some would say, it's just a full moon but slightly bigger and brighter from our perspective.

Two Supermoons Come in August

Space.com says that the first supermoon will arrive Tuesday afternoon, August 1. it will set at 05:11 EDT on Wednesday, Aug. 3, according to In the Sky. 

See Also; "One of the Best Shooting Star Displays of the Year" Comes to New York State

Some call this the Full Sturgeon Moon Supermoon, as The Farmer's Almanac says to look to the southeast after sunset. The Farmer's Almanac says that it is called the Sturgeon Moon (or, the Flying Up Moon, or Corn Moon to some) "because the giant sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this part of summer."

The second is the Blue Moon, which comes on August 30 and will rise at 7:10 pm EDT and will set at 06:46 EDT on August 31, according to Space.com. The Blue Moon got its name as more of a statement of absurdity or something that's rare, according to NBC.