Blue micromoon makes rare appearance this weekend
Summary
A blue micromoon, which is a rare type of full moon that looks smaller and dimmer than usual, will appear this weekend. It is the second full moon in a month and will not look blue in color. In some Southern Hemisphere locations, the moon will pass in front of a bright star called Antares, temporarily hiding it from view.Key Facts
- A blue micromoon is a full moon that appears smaller because it is farthest from Earth in its orbit.
- This event happens rarely; the next blue moon will be in December 2028.
- A blue moon means the second full moon in one calendar month, not the color of the moon.
- The micromoon will be about 6% smaller and 10% dimmer than a regular full moon.
- In the Northern Hemisphere, the blue micromoon will appear near the star Antares in the Scorpius constellation.
- In places like Argentina, Chile, and New Zealand, the moon will pass directly in front of Antares, making the star briefly disappear.
- Antares is a red supergiant star located about 550 light-years from Earth.
- People worldwide can watch live images of the blue micromoon through the Virtual Telescope Project’s online stream.
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