Astronomy Ireland has announced that an exceedingly rare celestial event will occur this week. Over Monday and Tuesday, a blue supermoon will be seen in Irish skies. This is an unusual phenomenon during which a full moon is closer to Earth than usual, appearing larger and brighter.
This blue supermoon is particularly special as the second full moon in one calendar month, happening only every two to three years. An instance where a supermoon and blue moon coincide is so rare that the next is not anticipated from Astronomy Ireland until 2037.
Stargazers are urged to maximise their viewing on Monday when the moon will rise at roughly 8:45 pm, simultaneously with the sunset. David Moore, Astronomy Ireland magazine’s editor, suggests that this timing will give the best viewing experience. When the moonrise and sunset coincide, a ‘moon illusion’ effect makes the moon appear even bigger to the observer’s eyes.
But the weather might not cooperate for stargazing, since rain showers and possible isolated thunderstorms are forecasted for the period, according to Met service Met Éireann. On a brighter note, after a damp morning, drier weather is expected to sweep in from the southwest later in the afternoon and continue into the evening.
Astronomy Ireland has invited the public to participate in the event by submitting their event’s best photographs. Further details can be found on the astronomy.ie website.