Two Supermoons Will Light Up the Night Sky in August, Including a Rare Blue Moon

An extraordinary astronomical event is set to unfold in August 2023, offering stargazers a double treat of not one but two supermoons, accompanied by the appearance of an elusive blue moon.

Supermoons, occurring when the full moon’s orbit brings it closest to Earth, have always fascinated astronomers. NASA explains that the moon’s elliptical orbit causes it to oscillate between closer and farther distances from our home planet during its orbital cycle. When the moon reaches its closest point to Earth, a supermoon takes place, causing it to appear larger and brighter than a regular full moon, though the difference is slight.

A blue moon, on the other hand, is not related to the moon’s color but to its frequency. It refers to the second full moon that occurs within a single calendar month. As most months consist of 30 or 31 days, while a full moon appears roughly every 29 days, it becomes possible for two full moons to fall within the same month occasionally. Blue moons are infrequent events, typically happening around every two and a half years. The most recent blue moon occurred on August 22, 2021.

How to See the Two Supermoons

The first supermoon, also known as the Sturgeon Moon, will grace the skies on Tuesday, August 1, reaching its peak at 2:32 p.m. The name “Sturgeon Moon” comes from Native American groups in the Great Lakes region who noticed that sturgeon were most abundantly caught during this month.

August will culminate in the appearance of the blue moon on Wednesday, August 30, reaching its peak at 9:36 p.m. This particular blue moon is not only significant for being the second full moon of the month but is also classified as a supermoon. In fact, it will be the closest full moon to Earth for the entire year, adding an extra layer of astronomical intrigue to the celestial event.

Astronomy enthusiasts and stargazers are eager to observe these lunar events, and to get the best view, it is recommended to find a location away from city lights and to use a telescope or a good pair of binoculars.

Looking for a place to see these spectacular events in Northern California? Here are a few of our favorites:

Lassen Volcanic National Park

The best place to see this celestial event might be a nighttime hike to the top of Lassen Peak. But if you don’t have the energy to summit a mountain, there are still many options in the park to get a good view. Manzanita Lake and Lake Helen will surely provide some picturesque reflection photography opportunities. Also, a view of Brokeoff Mountain with shooting stars will certainly be breathtaking. No matter where you go in the park, Lassen is known as a great place to go stargazing.

Lake Tahoe

Flickr/Jay Huang

If you can find a place around the lake to escape the city lights, there’s nothing like experiencing a starry night sky over Lake Tahoe. Maybe the best place to find the best night sky is the Desolation Wilderness, but anywhere in the higher altitudes above the lake will give you great views.

Mount Shasta

Flickr/Harold Litwiler

There are SO MANY places to see the meteor shower above Mount Shasta.As you ascend into the higher elevations, Perseid will certainly feel much bigger and brighter than in the valley. If you head up to Bunny Flats you should be able to see the stars bigger and brighter than anywhere in NorCal.

You’ll have a great view if you sit on the beach of Siskiyou Lake, watching the moon as it hovers above Mount Shasta with a reflection on the lake. Also, a nighttime hike to Heart Lake could be the To be quite honest, anywhere near Mount Shasta City seems like a winner in this scenario.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

We’ve documented the wonderful adventure of kayaking on Whiskeytown Lake during the full moon, and this occasion might prove to be an even better experience for a night on the water. You can always get on a boat (if you have access to one), grab a kayak or go to Brandy Creek. Another option would be to hike up to the top of Shasta Bally to have an overhead view of the super moon floating over the lake. So many options here…

View this post on Instagram

Summer nights • • • #visualsoflife #lifeofadventure #outsideproject #modernoutdoorsman #clymblife #vsco #vscocam #canada #liveauthentic #livefolk #thisworldexists #travel #exploremore #artofvisuals #exploretocreate #thevisualscollective #thisisredding #canon_photos #freedomthinkers #Places_wow #Fantastic_earth #soft_vision #roamtheplanet #OurPlanetDaily #Artofvisuals #awakethesoul #wildernessnation #thisworldexistsambassador • • • • @thisworldexists @timeoutsociety @ironandresin @ig_thisworld @californiathroughmylens @rsa_outdoors @outsidemagazine @vicivisuals @shastarockclub @adventurethatislife @pnwonderland @pnwdiscovered @theoutbound @thegreat_pnw @outside_project @folkmagazine @artofvisuals @instagood

A post shared by Ryan Thompson (@rynotime) on

Yosemite National Park

Although Yosemite can become packed with visitors during the summer, there is plenty of room to enjoy a night sky. The park still stays far away from city lights and can give you one heck of a show during the meteor shower.

View this post on Instagram

Starry nights in Yosemite 💫

A post shared by Cody Brooks (@brooks.imaging) on

Burney Falls

Burney Falls

Take NorCal’s most beautiful landmark (and The Eighth Wonder of the World) and put a a meteor shower above it – enough said. Watch it from the rocks below the majestic waterfall or get an overhead view from the trailhead above. Either way this opportunity is too great to pass up.

Have fun watching the beautiful Supermoons over NorCal in August!

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

37 Comments

  1. Hey great website! Does running a blog similar
    to this take a large amount of work? I have very
    little knowledge of computer programming however
    I was hoping to start my own blog soon. Anyhow, should you have
    any ideas or tips for new blog owners please share. I know this is off
    subject but I simply wanted to ask. Appreciate it!

  2. whoah this weblog is magnificent i like reading your posts.

    Stay up the good work! You understand, lots of individuals are
    searching round for this information, you could aid them greatly.

  3. Fantastic beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how
    can i subscribe for a blog site? The account helped me a applicable deal.

    I have been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided vibrant transparent concept

  4. Hey would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using?
    I’m planning to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a tough time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique.
    P.S My apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

  5. That is a great tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere.
    Brief but very precise information… Thanks for sharing this one.
    A must read article!

  6. Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thanks, However I am having troubles with your RSS.
    I don’t understand why I am unable to join it. Is there anybody else getting identical RSS problems?
    Anyone that knows the answer will you kindly respond?
    Thanx!!

  7. Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog
    and wished to say that I’ve really enjoyed surfing
    around your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope
    you write again soon!

  8. Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out much.
    I am hoping to give something again and help others such as you helped me.

  9. Please let me know if you’re looking for a author for your weblog.
    You have some really good posts and I think I would be a
    good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off,
    I’d really like to write some content for your blog
    in exchange for a link back to mine. Please blast me an e-mail if interested.
    Thank you!

  10. Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just your articles?
    I mean, what you say is valuable and all. But think
    about if you added some great graphics or videos to give your posts more, “pop”!
    Your content is excellent but with pics and video clips,
    this blog could certainly be one of the best in its field.
    Very good blog!

  11. Thank you for another fantastic article.
    Where else may just anybody get that kind of info
    in such an ideal manner of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I’m on the search for such
    information.

  12. Ahaa, its pleasant conversation on the topic of this piece
    of writing at this place at this weblog, I have read all that, so now me also commenting here.

  13. excellent submit, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector don’t understand this.

    You must proceed your writing. I’m sure, you have a great readers’ base already!

  14. Thanks for another informative web site. Where else may I get
    that type of information written in such a perfect method?
    I have a venture that I am just now working on, and I’ve been at the look out for such information.

  15. Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I quite enjoyed reading it, you might be
    a great author. I will always bookmark your blog and will often come back later in life.
    I want to encourage you continue your great job, have a nice day!

  16. I do accept as true with all of the concepts you’ve presented
    for your post. They’re very convincing and will definitely work.
    Nonetheless, the posts are very quick for newbies. May just
    you please prolong them a bit from next time? Thanks for
    the post.

  17. Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board
    and I find It truly helpful & it helped me out much.
    I’m hoping to offer something again and aid others like you helped me.

  18. Heya this is somewhat of off topic but I was wanting to
    know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have
    to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding skills so I wanted to get advice
    from someone with experience. Any help would
    be enormously appreciated!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top button