The fourth and last supermoon of 2023 promises to be an enchanting sight to decorate the night sky.
Supermoon Series And Harvest Moon: The harvest moon, which would be the final supermoon of 2023, will be visible on Thursday, September 28 after sunset, when it goes dark in this part of the hemisphere, horizontally though. But then, the stage is all set for one of the most stunning and dazzling celestial spectacles one can ever witness in real-time, and this time it is the “grand finale of supermoons in 2023”. The fourth and last supermoon of 2023 promises to be an enchanting sight to decorate the night sky.
When Will Supermoon Be Visible?
As mentioned, the celestial manifestation will be visible shortly after sunset on Thursday. This will also mark the grand finale of a summer filled with adjective-laden much talked about full moons, or say, supermoon.
The last supermoon was visible on August 30, 2023, as it appeared just opposite the Sun. And then it is not that much brouhaha over the technicalities of getting the name right as this will be a “supermoon” irrespective of different media using different levels to decide which moon qualifies as “super”.
When Do Supermoons Occur?
Supermoons occur when the moon reaches its closest proximity to Earth in its elliptical orbit, creating a captivating illusion of increased size and enhanced luminance. According to Farmer’s Almanac, “this year, the harvest supermoon would be at its peak brilliance at around 6 am ET on Friday, September 29, having already risen the previous night This celestial show will continue to grace the evening sky on Friday.”
Four Supermoons In 2023
Thursday’s supermoon marks the culmination of a sequence of four consecutive supermoons in 2023, each with its unique name, July’s buck moon, August’s sturgeon moon¸ August’s blue moon, and September’s harvest moon.
A blue moon can be broadly defined as “the occurrence of two full moons within a single calendar month”. The August blue moon holds additional rarity as it coincided with being a supermoon.
When Will We Witness Next Super Blue Moon?
Not so soon, not in a couple of years, not even within a decade as NASA says that the next occurrence of a super blue moon is not anticipated for another 14 years and the skywatchers will have to wait until January and March 2037 to witness this celestial phenomenon once again embellishing the night sky.
Of the possible 12 or 13 full (or new) moons each year, usually three or four may be classified as supermoons, as commonly defined. The most recent full supermoon occurred on August 31, 2023, and the next one will be on September 28/29, 2023.
The closest full supermoon of the 21st century will occur on December 6, 2052.