MoonstruckPhoto essay

Rare blue supermoon dazzles stargazers around globe

Moon comes unusually close to Earth; is full for the second time in August, earning the celestial display the ‘blue’ moniker

  • A blue supermoon rises over a station of wind turbines, in the Golan Heights, northern Israel, August 30, 2023.. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
    A blue supermoon rises over a station of wind turbines, in the Golan Heights, northern Israel, August 30, 2023.. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
  • A blue supermoon rises between the Salesforce Tower and the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, August 30, 2023. (Eric Risberg/AP)
    A blue supermoon rises between the Salesforce Tower and the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, August 30, 2023. (Eric Risberg/AP)
  • The full moon rises beyond a sign in the outfield during a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Pittsburgh Pirates  in Kansas City, Missouri, on  August 30, 2023. (Charlie Riedel/AP)
    The full moon rises beyond a sign in the outfield during a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Pittsburgh Pirates in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 30, 2023. (Charlie Riedel/AP)
  • The blue supermoon rises behind a thick layer of clouds near a statue of the angel Moroni perched atop The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Kensington, Maryland, August 30, 2023. (Julio Cortez/AP)
    The blue supermoon rises behind a thick layer of clouds near a statue of the angel Moroni perched atop The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Kensington, Maryland, August 30, 2023. (Julio Cortez/AP)
  • A rare Blue Supermoon rises over Lake Michigan as spectators watch from Chicago's 31st Street beach August 30, 2023. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
    A rare Blue Supermoon rises over Lake Michigan as spectators watch from Chicago's 31st Street beach August 30, 2023. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
  • People watch a supermoon rise above Lisbon, August 30, 2023. (Armando Franca/AP)
    People watch a supermoon rise above Lisbon, August 30, 2023. (Armando Franca/AP)
  • A supermoon rises over Montevideo, Uruguay, August 30, 2023. (Matilde Campodonico/AP)
    A supermoon rises over Montevideo, Uruguay, August 30, 2023. (Matilde Campodonico/AP)
  • The supermoon rises behind the ancient temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Athens, Greece, August 30, 2023. (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP)
    The supermoon rises behind the ancient temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Athens, Greece, August 30, 2023. (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP)
  • The supermoon rises in the sky over the houses of Gaza City, the Gaza Strip, August 30, 2023. (Adel Hana/AP)
    The supermoon rises in the sky over the houses of Gaza City, the Gaza Strip, August 30, 2023. (Adel Hana/AP)
  • The August Super Blue Moon sets behind a historical building and the St. Basil's Cathedral, right, as people walk in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, August 30, 2023. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)
    The August Super Blue Moon sets behind a historical building and the St. Basil's Cathedral, right, as people walk in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, August 30, 2023. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)
  • A rare blue supermoon rises behind the small village of Ujue, northern Spain, August 30, 2023. (lvaro Barrientos/AP)
    A rare blue supermoon rises behind the small village of Ujue, northern Spain, August 30, 2023. (lvaro Barrientos/AP)
  • A supermoon rises over the Colosseum in Rome, August 30, 2023. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)
    A supermoon rises over the Colosseum in Rome, August 30, 2023. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)
  • The supermoon rises behind the Chlemoutsi medival castle in Kyllini, Peloponnese, Greece, August 30, 2023. (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
    The supermoon rises behind the Chlemoutsi medival castle in Kyllini, Peloponnese, Greece, August 30, 2023. (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
  • The full moon rises beyond the Martyrs statue, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, August 30, 2023. (Hussein Malla/AP)
    The full moon rises beyond the Martyrs statue, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, August 30, 2023. (Hussein Malla/AP)
  • Akinci unmanned aerial craft passing in front of the supermoon during a demonstration flight on the first day of Teknofest technology and aerospace festival in Ankara, Turkey, August 30, 2023. (Emrah Gurel/AP)
    Akinci unmanned aerial craft passing in front of the supermoon during a demonstration flight on the first day of Teknofest technology and aerospace festival in Ankara, Turkey, August 30, 2023. (Emrah Gurel/AP)
  • A supermoon is seen on the sky as a woman walks on the street, in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, August 30, 2023. (Themba Hadebe/AP)
    A supermoon is seen on the sky as a woman walks on the street, in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, August 30, 2023. (Themba Hadebe/AP)
  • The supermoon rises near the equestrian statue of Damdin Sukhbaatar on Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on August 30, 2023. (Ng Han Guan/AP)
    The supermoon rises near the equestrian statue of Damdin Sukhbaatar on Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on August 30, 2023. (Ng Han Guan/AP)
  • A peacock sits on a chimney as a nearly full moon rises behind it, in Hyderabad, India, August 30, 2023.  (Mahesh Kumar A/AP)
    A peacock sits on a chimney as a nearly full moon rises behind it, in Hyderabad, India, August 30, 2023. (Mahesh Kumar A/AP)

A rare blue supermoon — the closest full moon of the year — dazzled stargazers Wednesday night.

Saturn joined the celestial spectacle, visible alongside the moon, at least where skies were clear.

It was the second full moon of August, thus the blue label. And it was unusually close to Earth, therefore a supermoon.

The moon appeared to be bigger and brighter than usual, given its close proximity to Earth: just 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) or so.

The August 1 supermoon was more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) farther away.

If you missed it, it will be a long wait: The next blue supermoon isn’t until 2037. But another regular supermoon is on the horizon at the end of September, the last one of the year.

A blue supermoon rises over a station of wind turbines, in the Golan Heights, northern Israel, August 30, 2023.. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
A blue supermoon rises between the Salesforce Tower and the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, August 30, 2023. (Eric Risberg/AP)
The full moon rises beyond a sign in the outfield during a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Pittsburgh Pirates in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 30, 2023. (Charlie Riedel/AP)
The blue supermoon rises behind a thick layer of clouds near a statue of the angel Moroni perched atop The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Kensington, Maryland, August 30, 2023. (Julio Cortez/AP)
A rare Blue Supermoon rises over Lake Michigan as spectators watch from Chicago’s 31st Street beach August 30, 2023. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
People watch a supermoon rise above Lisbon, August 30, 2023. (Armando Franca/AP)
A supermoon rises over Montevideo, Uruguay, August 30, 2023. (Matilde Campodonico/AP)
The supermoon rises behind the ancient temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Athens, Greece, August 30, 2023. (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP)
The supermoon rises in the sky over the houses of Gaza City, the Gaza Strip, August 30, 2023. (Adel Hana/AP)
The August Super Blue Moon sets behind a historical building and the St. Basil’s Cathedral, right, as people walk in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, August 30, 2023. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)
A rare blue supermoon rises behind the small village of Ujue, northern Spain, August 30, 2023. (lvaro Barrientos/AP)
A supermoon rises over the Colosseum in Rome, August 30, 2023. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)
The supermoon rises behind the Chlemoutsi medival castle in Kyllini, Peloponnese, Greece, August 30, 2023. (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
The full moon rises beyond the Martyrs statue, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, August 30, 2023. (Hussein Malla/AP)
Akinci unmanned aerial craft passing in front of the supermoon during a demonstration flight on the first day of Teknofest technology and aerospace festival in Ankara, Turkey, August 30, 2023. (Emrah Gurel/AP)
A supermoon is seen on the sky as a woman walks on the street, in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, August 30, 2023. (Themba Hadebe/AP)
The supermoon rises near the equestrian statue of Damdin Sukhbaatar on Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on August 30, 2023. (Ng Han Guan/AP)
A peacock sits on a chimney as a nearly full moon rises behind it, in Hyderabad, India, August 30, 2023. (Mahesh Kumar A/AP)

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