August supermoon amazes scientists and onlookers ahead of rare blue moon display

Scientists and onlookers marveled at the first of two supermoons in the month of August, which was on display Tuesday, with photos of the phenomenon quickly spreading online.

The supermoon, defined as a full moon that is closer to the Earth than normal, appeared larger and brighter in the night sky. Typically, months will only see one supermoron, but this August is unique in that there will be two supermoons in the same month, the second being called a blue moon. 

That is the reason for the phrase: “once in a blue moon.”

Eager photographers shared photos of the sturgeon moon, named after the time of year when the large fish were abundant in the Great Lakes, over Washington, D.C., New York City and countries around the globe.

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The moon rises through clouds over the skyline of lower Manhattan in this view from West Orange, N.J., Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The supermoon rises above the Thomas Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.  (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The supermoon rises behind a minaret of a mosque in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.  (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

It reached its peal at 2:32 p.m. ET. 

The moon was about 222,159 miles away, thus the larger appearance. 

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The term “supermoon” was first coined in 1979.

The moon rises through clouds over the skyline of lower Manhattan as seen from West Orange, N.J., Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A cable car moves towards Sugar Loaf mountain as a supermoon rises on the night sky in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug 1, 2023.  (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

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The blue moon will be apparent on the night of Aug. 30. The next blue moon is expected to take place in May 2026.

Fox News’ Julia Musto and The Associated Press contributed to this report.