Stargazers are in for a double treat this week: a rare blue supermoon with Saturn peeking from behind. The cosmic curtain rises Wednesday night with the second full moon of the month, the reason it’s considered blue. It’s dubbed a super moon because it’s closer to Earth than usual, appearing especially big and bright.
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This one will be the closest full moon of the year, just 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) or so away. That’s more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) closer than the August 1 supermoon. Saturn will be also be visible as a bright point that will appear to circle clockwise around the moon as the night wears on.
AP
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On the night of August 31, the moon will be closer to the UAE than ever before. The Al Thuraya Astronomy Center in Mushrif Park is offering a paid two-hour public viewing session that will feature an informative talk, telescope observations, and a photography session using the telescopes.
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Here are some of the most stunning images the rare blue moon from all around the world. [In pic: The moon appears in the sky, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip August 30, 2023. ]
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The "Blue Supermoon", the second full moon of a calendar month, rises behind Galata tower in Istanbul on August 30, 2023.
AFP
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A full moon known as the "Blue Moon" rises behind the Temple of Poseidon, in Cape Sounion, near Athens, Greece, August 30, 2023.
Reuters
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A moon is seen above the clock tower of the Monastery of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem's Old City, August 30, 2023.
Reuters
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The moon is pictured over the Ayasofya-i Kebir Camii or Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey August 30, 2023
Reuters
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The moon appears in the sky, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip August 30, 2023.
Reuters
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Vehicles travel over the Coronado bridge as the moon rises in the distance in Coronado, California, US, August 29, 2023.
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The 'Blue Moon' rises over Doha city on August 30, 2023.
AFP
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A picture taken from the Israeli city of Rosh Haain shows the 'Blue Moon' rising over the West Bank, on August 30, 2023.
AFP
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