Heads up, stargazers! August will be a great month for moon lovers. That's because two supermoons are on the way.
The first one will be here to kick off the month on Tuesday, Aug. 1, called the "Sturgeon Moon." Peak illumination will be around 2:30 in the afternoon. For Western North Carolina, the best chance to see the full moon will be after moonrise -- just after 9 p.m. Tuesday evening in the southeastern sky.
Sturgeon is considered a supermoon because it appears slightly brighter and bigger than normal. In fact, supermoons are about 16% brighter than an average full moon. This is because the moon is closer than normal at 222,159 miles away.
A few mountain showers will be possible Tuesday afternoon which could result in some cloud debris in the sky around moonrise However, visibility shouldn't be an issue to catch a glimpse of the full moon.
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, the Sturgeon Moon is named as such because "the giant sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this part of summer."
The next full moon comes at the end of the month on Aug. 30. This will be considered a "Blue Moon" since it is the second full moon of the month.
This time, the moon will be even closer. A blue moon won't happen again until May 2026.
STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOSLook up! Double dose of supermoons in store for August | WLOS
