--- title: August's Rare Super Blue Moon: How and When You Can See It description: You’ll have more of a reason than usual to gaze up at the sky when August’s rare super blue moon takes center stage. canonical: https://time.com/7012046/rare-super-blue-moon-august-2024-when-to-see-it/ author: Rebecca Schneid article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-08-18T13:50:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:45:55.351Z article:section: Science og:title: August's Rare Super Blue Moon: How and When You Can See It og:description: You’ll have more of a reason than usual to gaze up at the sky when August’s rare super blue moon takes center stage. og:url: https://time.com/7012046/rare-super-blue-moon-august-2024-when-to-see-it/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9eae9e4a18598cf1/698a5a0316d8842dc3c3efe1/GettyImages-1635845447.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Super moon rises over Golden in San Francisco og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: August's Rare Super Blue Moon: How and When You Can See It twitter:description: You’ll have more of a reason than usual to gaze up at the sky when August’s rare super blue moon takes center stage. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9eae9e4a18598cf1/698a5a0316d8842dc3c3efe1/GettyImages-1635845447.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # You Won't Want to Miss August's Rare Super Blue Moon. Here's How and When You Can See It > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. 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Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=bb420b1b-fc47-459c-8681-b491cea41c6f&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: You Won’t Want to Miss August’s Rare Super Blue Moon. Here’s How and When You Can See It [Watch (HLS stream): You Won’t Want to Miss August’s Rare Super Blue Moon. Here’s How and When You Can See It](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/vrQfwoa5.m3u8) (1:06)  _Published 2024-08-19. On the heels of the exciting Perseid meteor shower, the public will be graced with another thrilling night sky moment._  by [Rebecca Schneid](https://time.com/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Reporter Aug 18, 2024 1:50 PM UTC On the heels of the exciting Perseid meteor shower, the public will be graced with another thrilling night sky moment.  by [Rebecca Schneid](https://time.com/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Reporter Aug 18, 2024 1:50 PM UTC On the heels of the exciting [Perseid meteor shower,](https://time.com/7010182/perseid-meteor-shower-photos/) the public will be graced with another thrilling night sky moment. On Monday evening, you’ll have more of a reason than usual to gaze up at the sky, as August’s rare super blue moon will take center stage for the pleasure of photographers, astronomers, and casual viewers. Here's what to know about the celestial event: ## **What is a super blue moon?** A super blue moon is simultaneously a full moon, blue moon, and a super moon. The first of these three is pretty well known to us: a phase in the lunar cycle in which the Earth, sun, and moon are aligned with the Earth in the middle, so the moon is fully illuminated on Earth. A blue moon is not about the color of the moon, but instead the frequency of the full moon. There are two definitions of a blue moon—the first describes when there are two full moons in a single month. Since the moon’s cycle is 29.5 days, and our average calendar month is 30-31 days, it is incredibly rare to have two full moons in one single month, but it is possible, happening every two to three years, [according to NASA.](https://moon.nasa.gov/news/197/super-blue-moons-your-questions-answered/) Around 3% of full moons are blue moons. There are also seasonal blue moons, in which a calendar season contains four full moons instead of the usual three, and the blue moon is the third of the four full moons. August’s full moon is of this variety. The next seasonal blue moon is expected in May 2027. The super moon part refers to the moon's orbit, which brings it slightly closer to Earth this month, making it appear bigger and brighter. This occurs since the moon’s orbit around the Earth is elliptical instead of just a circle, and thus there are times when the moon is further and closer to our planet. [During the moon’s closest approach to Earth,](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/what-is-a-supermoon/) it can appear approximately 14% larger and shine 30% brighter than when at its farthest point in the orbit. This will be the first of four consecutive super moons this year, and it is less rare than the blue moon, occurring three or four times a year. August’s full moon is often called the [Sturgeon moon](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/the-next-full-moon-is-a-supermoon-blue-moon/), dubbed by the Algonquin Native American tribe living in the Great Lakes area and throughout what is now known as the northeastern United States. They named the full moon after sturgeons—a type of large fish—which were most plentiful in the lakes during the month of August. ## **How and when can you see August’s super blue moon?** The full moon's peak will occur on Monday afternoon, [according to NASA](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/the-next-full-moon-is-a-supermoon-blue-moon/), at 2:26 p.m. EDT and 11:26 a.m. PT. It will appear for three days, from Sunday morning until early Wednesday morning. Though the moon will be visible to the naked eye, [Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz., says](https://lowell.edu/summer-2023-brings-a-supermoon-season/) that telescope and binocular viewers will be able to see even more detail on the lunar surface than usual. ## **How rare is a super blue moon?** According to NASA, the combination of the super moon and the blue moon is rare, and the time between their occurrences is quite “irregular” and could be as much as 20 years, with 10 years between the average. Though we had a super blue moon somewhat recently, in August 2023, NASA predicts the next super blue moons will occur in January and March 2037\. All the more reason to make sure you don’t miss 2024’s offering. ## Transcript [00:08] Well, a super Moon is really the coinciding of two different celestial events. [00:13] First of all, it's when the moon is at its closest to the earth, [00:17] because as it orbits around us, [00:18] sometimes it is closer, [00:19] sometimes it's further away. [00:21] And when that coincides with it being a full moon, [00:24] that is a super moon. [00:26] So it's usually 7% bigger in the sky and about 15% brighter as well. [00:32] Well, luckily, it is the biggest brightest moon you can get, [00:35] so it could not be easier. [00:37] If you have a clear view of the Southern horizon, [00:39] that helps, but the moon's going to be rising at 9:00 P.M. [00:42] It's going to be getting higher and further west as the night progresses, [00:45] and it's going to be up all night long. [00:47] So really, you don't need any equipment at all. [00:49] It's quite a good time to see Saturn. [00:50] It's actually really close by to the moon, [00:52] just slightly higher and off to the left, [00:55] following the moon as the evening progresses. [00:57] So it'll be a bright white dot near the moon, [00:59] and through a small telescope, [01:01] you might even be able to see its rings as well. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7012046/rare-super-blue-moon-august-2024-when-to-see-it/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7012046/rare-super-blue-moon-august-2024-when-to-see-it/"},"headline":"You Won't Want to Miss August's Rare Super Blue Moon. 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