Super Blue Moon: How to watch tonight's spectacle in the UK

Virgin Radio

30 Aug 2023, 16:15

Tonight is the night when the biggest and brightest moon of 2023 will be visible in the world’s skies.

Last seen in 2009, the night of Wednesday 30th and early morning of Thursday 31st August will provide lucky sky gazers with the opportunity to see a rare blue supermoon above the UK. A once in a blue moon opportunity indeed!

This celestial event will be best visible in the UK at around 2:30am on Thursday, however the large and bright sight should be possible to view (dependent on cloud cover) throughout the nation’s skies as soon as it appears over the horizon.

Interested viewers need just turn their heads towards the south in order to catch a glimpse of the super blue moon, and no telescope is required to see it.

Naturally, however, going to somewhere with darker skies and limited light pollution will improve your viewing of the blue supermoon.

Individuals heading out to look at the moon should be warned that its name does not promise anything to do with its colour. This is because contrary to what its title suggests, the super blue moon will not appear any more blue than other full moons.

Its name instead derives from the fact that it is an odd one out from the usual lunar calendar. 

A blue moon is the name given to a moon when there are 13 moons rather than 12 per year. This occurs roughly every two to three years, as the phases of the moon take 29.5 days, meaning it takes just 354 days out of 365 for 12 moon cycles.

The next blue moon will be visible in 2026, but a super blue moon is an even rarer event, with the next due to rise above our skies in 2037.

This August has also seen the rare occurrence of two supermoons, which has moon mentor and Virgin Radio regular Kirsty Gallagher very excited.

“Both supermoons [are] working powerfully together with the recent energy portal we have just moved through to help you to remember and reclaim more of who you are and where you’re being called to go next,” she said.

“We are in such a pivotal time on earth now, and this full moon is here to guide the way forward towards more of what the world actually needs – which is YOU being more YOU.”

Therefore, it’s well worth taking the time if you can this evening to keep a look out for tonight’s super blue moon.

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