Rare Super Blue Moon dazzles stargazers across the world

A rare blue supermoon — the closest full moon of the year — dazzled stargazers Wednesday night as the glowing object lit up the sky.

Saturn also participated in the stunning celestial spectacle and was visible next to the shining moon in parts of the world where the sky was clear.

It was the second full moon in August, so it was a ‘blue’ moon. And it was also unusually close to Earth, earning it the title of supermoon. The combination of both phenomena at the same time made the event so rare.

The moon appeared larger and brighter than usual given its proximity to Earth — only 225,000 miles or so.

For comparison, the August 1 supermoon was over 100 miles away.

Avid stargazers across the U.S. gazed at the giant glowing orb, lighting up the sky and illuminating landmarks on city skylines.

The dazzling supermoon lit up New York’s Lady Liberty and shone brightly on the shores of Lake Michigan Wednesday night.

It even appeared in shades of pale pink in New Orleans, and its aura lit up the night sky in San Francisco.

According to NASA, the supermoon will be at its highest point in the sky at 1:23 a.m. ET on Thursday.

The next blue supermoon won’t appear until 2037, but another regular supermoon will be on the horizon in late September, the last of the year.

Astronomy enthusiasts could rejoice as stunning photos from around the world showed the larger and brighter moon, captured by photographers as it appeared over several landmarks.

Supermoons occur when the moon passes through its perigee, or the point that brings it closest to Earth during its elliptical orbit.

This makes it look about 14 percent larger than when it’s at its furthest point, and slightly brighter.

Despite the description, the moon was not actually blue – the term “blue moon” simply refers to when we see a full moon twice a month, with a sturgeon moon being seen on August 1.

This happens because the lunar cycles, at 29.5 days, are slightly shorter than calendar months, which are 30 or 31 days long. So it is possible that one takes place at the beginning of the month and the other at the end of the month.

However, experts have warned that the celestial spectacle could have environmental consequences for parts of the US.

Hurricane Idalia – currently ravaging Florida and South Carolina – will amplify already expected high water levels in Georgia and Charleston.

This is because the full supermoon makes its closest orbit to Earth – and exerts a stronger gravitational pull.

As a result, tides are higher, which could exacerbate the storms hitting parts of the south.

When the moon is full, the sun and moon pull in the same direction, which causes tides to rise above normal, said Kerry Emanuel, a professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The storm surge is often the leading cause of death when hurricanes strike.

“I would say the timing for this one is pretty bad,” said Brian Haines, the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service’s office in Charleston, South Carolina.

Ocean water flowing onto land could rise as high as 15 feet along parts of Florida’s west coast, the National Hurricane Center predicted in its latest briefings yesterday.

Further south, a storm surge of more than two meters is expected in the Tampa Bay area.

A storm surge that can be larger than a human being is a problem with any major hurricane.

The tides and the influence of a supermoon can increase that even more.

“There’s a saying that you hide from the wind and run from the water, and hopefully people will heed that advice,” said Brian Tang, an associate professor of atmospheric sciences at the University at Albany in New York.