A rare blue micromoon rises this weekend

1 hour ago 1

Get acceptable for a uncommon bluish micromoon this weekend

ByMARCIA DUNN AP aerospace writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Get acceptable for a uncommon bluish micromoon this play — a bluish satellite that's besides the astir distant and smallest-looking afloat satellite of the year.

A bonus: The superb prima Antares volition photobomb Sunday's spectacle for a celestial three-for-one.

A bluish satellite occurs each 2 to 3 years erstwhile a 2nd afloat satellite squeezes into a azygous month. May 1 saw this month’s archetypal afloat moon.

Since the moon's orbit isn't a cleanable circle, the upcoming afloat satellite volition beryllium farther from Earth than accustomed astatine a region of 252,360 miles (406,135 kilometers), making it look a spot smaller and dimmer. It's the other of a supermoon erstwhile a afloat satellite comes person to america than normal. The astir caller supermoon, for instance, was conscionable 225,130 miles (362,312 kilometers) away.

The Virtual Telescope Project’s Gianluca Masi, who volition supply a unrecorded webcast from Italy, said Sunday’s micromoon volition look astir 6% smaller and 10% dimmer than that of an mean afloat satellite — “differences that are subtle capable to apt spell unnoticed by astir observers.”

The country volition beryllium particularly thrilling southbound of the equator crossed the Pacific.

For stargazers successful Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, eastbound Australia, parts of Antarctica and a smattering of different islands, Antares volition vanish temporarily arsenic the bluish micromoon passes successful beforehand of it.

The reddish supergiant star, 550 light-years away, is known arsenic the “heart of scorpion” successful the constellation Scorpius. A light-year is astir 6 trillion miles (9.7 trillion kilometers).

There won't beryllium immoderate disappearing enactment for those looking up elsewhere successful the world, with Antares perpetually disposable alongside the afloat moon.

And contempt the name, this bluish satellite won’t look turquoise, sapphire oregon immoderate different shade. The word simply refers to the uncommon occurrence of 2 afloat moons successful 1 month.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives enactment from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely liable for each content.