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A Rare Blue Micromoon Rises This Weekend
- On Sunday, May 31, a rare Blue Moon and micromoon will peak, combining the second full moon of the calendar month with the Moon's farthest point from Earth.
- The phenomenon occurs because the lunar month and calendar month are slightly out of sync, while micromoon status results from the Moon being near apogee, its farthest orbital point.
- At 406,135 kilometers away, this is the smallest full Moon this year, appearing about 6% smaller than average, according to Laura Driessen of the Sydney Institute.
- For observers in Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, and Australia, the Moon will temporarily obscure Antares, a red supergiant star 550 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.
- Such a concatenation of circumstances will not recur until 2053, offering skywatchers a rare opportunity to witness the combination of two distinct astronomical phenomena simultaneously.
Insights by Ground AI
42 Articles
42 Articles
A blue moon is a relatively rare phenomenon: it occurs every two to three years. It occurs when there are two full moons in one month. This is the case this year in May, when the first full moon occurred on the first day of the month and the second on the last. Because the moon's orbit is not a perfect circle, the upcoming full moon will be farther from Earth than usual, at a distance of over 400,000 km, making it appear slightly smaller and dim…
This is not an ordinary full moon, but a "blue moon" with unique geometric features that affect its size on the horizon.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources42
Leaning Left10Leaning Right5Center18Last UpdatedBias Distribution55% Center
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources are Center
55% Center
L 30%
C 55%
15%
Factuality
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