LAHORE – There is a treat for people in Pakistan on August 19 as they will see a full moon that qualifies as both a ‘supermoon’ and a ‘blue moon’ tonight.

Rare celestial event is set to unfold offering a spectacle that may not grace the skies again for many years. It will took place at 11:26 PM Pakistan Standard Time. It can be witness all over the country.

This unique occurrence, known as a “super blue moon”, takes place when the lunar cycles of supermoons and blue moons align perfectly on a calendar date, said SUPARCO in a statement.

The “super” part refers to the moon’s orbit, which brings it slightly closer to Earth, upping its size and brightness i.e. a supermoon occurs when the moon is at perigee (closest approach to Earth), coinciding with a full moon.

What is Super Full Moon?

When the moon is at its nearest point, roughly 226,000 miles from Earth, it appears significantly larger and brighter in the night sky—approximately 14% larger and 30% brighter than an average full moon. Supermoons can also occur in the opposite part of the lunar month, at New Moon. When a Full Moon takes place when the Moon is near its closest approach to Earth, it is called a Super Full Moon. When there is a New Moon around the closest point to Earth, it is known as a Super New Moon.

First Super Moon of 2024

Tonight, sky gazers will witness the first supermoon of 2024. The next ones will occur on September 18, October 17 and November 15 (supermoon at new moon).

Blue Moon

The term “Blue”, means it’s the third of four full moons during a current season, which is an unusual occurrence. The term ‘blue moon’ actually describes when we get multiple full moons in a given period. A seasonal blue moon occurs when four full moons take place within a single season,summer of 2024 in this case.

There are two kinds of blue moons. A seasonal blue moon refers to the third full moon in a season that has four. A monthly blue moon is when we get a second full moon within the same calendar month. This one earns its ‘blue’ status for being the third full moon in a season of four. Seasonal blue moons are rare enough. The next one won’t happen until May 2027.

Blue moons generally occur once every two to three years, adding to their rarity. The combination of a supermoon and a blue moon is even more unusual, with such events happening approximately every 10 years on average, though the interval can be as long as 20 years.