Summer is ending on a high note, with the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year, it's also something you won't see again until 2032.

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How Often Do Supermoons Happen?

The middle of 2023 is jam-packed with supermoons. July, August, and September all have supermoons. August is extra special though, because it has two full moons in 2023. Not only did August have the full Sturgeon Supermoon, but it also has the Blue Supermoon. According to the Natural History Museum, supermoons aren't exactly uncommon, and we typically will see 3-4 a year.

A full Moon occurs once in each lunar cycle, which lasts 29.5 days. But not every full Moon is a supermoon - there are only usually three or four supermoons in a year. Between 2020 and 2025, there will be four each year.
During a supermoon, the Moon is at a stage where it is closest to Earth.

The Blue Supermoon

We've all heard the phrase "once in a Blue Moon" to describe something we don't do often, but what exactly is a Blue Moon? Unfortunately, no the moon won't be glowing blue. According to Almanac, there are two different types of Blue Moons, the Seasonal Blue Moon, and the Calendrical Blue Moon. The Seasonal Blue Moon is the extra full moon that occurs during a season. The Calendrical Blue Moon is the second full moon during a month, in this case, the last full moon during the month of August.

Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash

Won't See This Again Until 2032

According to NPR What makes the final full moon of summertime even cooler, is the fact that we won't see a Blue Supermoon again until 2032. So if you miss this one, you'll have to wait another 9 years before we see another.

Photo by haylee booth on Unsplash

The Farmer's Almanac says this is also the biggest and brightest full moon of the year.

August 30-31 supermoon will be the closest, biggest, and brightest full supermoon of 2023. It’s exceptionally close in Moon miles from Earth (222,043 miles).

So there you have it! Be sure to look up into the night sky on August 30th and see the Blue Supermoon phenomenon. If you want to know the exact time for peak illumination, the Farmer's Almanac has a handy full moon rise and set calculator, that you can check out here.

LOOK: The states with the most UFO sightings

For each state, we’ve also included details of famous UFO sightings in that state. Of note is that almost three-quarters of all UFO sighting reports in the United States occur between 4 p.m. and midnight, and tend to peak between 9 and 10 p.m. Food for thought next time you're out scoping for alien life. Keep reading to see which states have had the most UFO sightings.