UAE: ‘Blue’ Supermoon Tonight—Best Viewing Times and Spots

UAE’s ‘Blue’ Supermoon to Shine Tonight: Viewing Times and Top Spots

A ‘blue’ supermoon will rise in the UAE today (Monday, August 19) and the spectacle will light up the sky for up to three nights. A supermoon is when the full moon is closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit.

Although it has no colour, tonight’s lunar display will be called a ‘blue moon’ – the third full moon in four seasons.

When this happens, the moon appears brighter and larger than usual.

“Usually you can see a supermoon for two or three nights when it’s at its peak brightness and size (tonight) … when the moon is closest to Earth. However, during the night before and after peak, it’s almost full and even more attractive,” he said. said Khadijah Ahmad, Operations Manager, Dubai Astronomical Group (DAG).

When does the moon rise?
The supermoon will rise after sunset, said Mohammed Shaukat Odeh, director of the Abu Dhabi-based International Center for Astronomy. The size of the lunar disk is slightly larger when viewed from Earth.

Best places to catch
Khadija said that the super moon will be visible all over the country. “The best places are open areas with a clear view of the moon, elevated areas, or bodies of water where you can see the moon’s reflection on the water.”

DAG hosts a paid event on the City Walk to meet astronomers who help visitors take photos on their phones through the telescope.

This is the third celestial spectacle to light up the skies of the UAE this month. On August 12, hundreds of shooting stars lifted the Perseids meteor shower into the night sky. On August 15, Mars and Jupiter form a close pair.