Blue supermoon to light up UAE skies this week

Appearing larger and brighter due to its close proximity to Earth, it will be visible for three days

An aircraft passes across a supermoon viewed in Georgia in the US in 2018. A blue supermoon will be visible in the UAE on August 19. Photo: USA Today Sports

Stargazers will be treated to a stunning celestial display on Monday as the first supermoon of the year graces the night sky in the UAE and around the world.

The blue – or sturgeon – supermoon will be visible until Wednesday and will appear larger and brighter due to the full moon's closer proximity to Earth. It will become fully visible in UAE skies at about 8pm.

The Moon will not really turn blue, though the term is recorded as far back as 1528. “Speculations on the origin of the term include an old English phrase that means 'betrayer moon' (because it led to mistakes in setting the dates for Lent and Easter),” said Nasa.

However, the US space agency said there are rare circumstances when the Moon may indeed appear blue. “It may be a comparison to rare events such as when dust in the atmosphere makes the Moon actually appear blue.”

This full moon is also called the sturgeon supermoon, named after the sturgeon fish that was traditionally abundant in the Great Lakes, in the east-central US, during this time of year.

The Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons in the 1930s, and these have become widely known and used. Others include red moon, corn or green corn moon, barley moon, herb moon, grain moon and dog moon.

This comes shortly after the Perseids meteor shower lit up the night skies in the UAE and around the world.

Up to 100 meteors flew across the skies, which appeared as fireballs as they travelled at intense speeds.

After the blue supermoon, the next supermoon will be visible on September 18 – weather permitting, as always.