Two supermoons including a blue moon to appear in one month in rare spectacle

TWO supermoons including a rare blue moon will light up the sky in August – in a spectacle that won’t be seen again for 14 years.

A supermoon happens when the moon is at its closest point to the Earth while also a full moon.

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Brits will be able to see the first one, named Sturgeon, on August -when it will be just 222,159 miles away at 7.31pm.

The second supermoon on August 31 will be even closer – just 222,043 miles away at 2.35am.

As it is the second full moon in a month, it will also be a rare blue moon.

Two supermoons last appeared in the same month in 2018 – with boffins predicting that it will not happen again until 2037.

Retired Nasa scientist Fred “Mr Eclipse” Espenak said: “Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset.”

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich said: “So long as there’s not too much cloud, the full moon will be an unmistakable white orb in the sky.

“This is a good opportunity to use a small telescope or a pair of binoculars to see the moon’s detailed surface, or even try taking a few interesting moon photos.

“However, you can see the moon perfectly well with just your eyes.

“Seeing moonrise just after sunset, or moonset just before sunrise, will be an impressive sight as it will appear enormous compared to the surrounding landscape.”

The observatory added that supermoons are 14% bigger and 30% brighter than normal moons.

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s supermoons and blue moons.