八月的满月

2023年8月30日

Full Moons of August
Image Credit & Copyright: Gianni Tumino

Explanation: Near perigee, the closest point in its almost moonthly orbit, a Full Moon rose as the Sun set on August 1. Its brighter than average lunar disk was captured in this dramatic moonrise sequence over dense cloud banks along the eastern horizon from Ragusa, Sicily. Illuminating night skies around planet Earth it was the second supermoon of 2023. Yet again near perigee, the third supermoon of 2023 will also shine on an August night. Rising as the Sun sets tonight this second Full Moon in August will be known to some as a Blue Moon, even though scattered sunlight gives the lunar disk a reddened hue. Defined as the second full moon in a calendar month, blue moons occur only once every 2 or 3 years. That’s because lunar phases take 29.5 days, almost a calendar month, to go through a complete cycle. Tonight an August Blue Moon will find itself beside bright planet Saturn.

Tomorrow’s picture: the Crew-7 nebula

八月的满月
影像提供与版权: Gianni Tumino

说明: 8月1日的日落时分，在近乎圆形轨道上运行的月亮，来到最靠近地球的近地点附近，并以满月之姿东升。在摄于意大利拉古萨市的这幅精采月出影像序列里，比寻常满月更明亮的月盘，从东方地平线上空的云层后方升起。这轮照亮地球夜空的明月，则是2023年的第二个超级月亮。而在今天的黄昏时，另一轮在8月夜空绽放光芒的满月也将东升。这轮满月也是位于近地点附近，因此是2023年的第三个超级月亮，也因为是同个月份的第二个满月，而有蓝月之称；虽然因所反射的阳光受到大气散射，月盘的色泽其实偏红。作为同个月份的第二轮满月之蓝月，因为月相周期为29.5日、几乎与历月等长之故，所以每2到3年才会出现一次。今晚的八月蓝月，附近将有明亮的土星为伴。

明日的图片: the Crew 7 nebula