The Jeddah Astronomy Society (JAS) announced on Sunday that the first “supermoon” of 2024 will be visible worldwide on Monday.

This rare event occurs when the full moon is closer to Earth than usual, making it appear larger and brighter.

JAS director Majed Abu Zahra said this “supermoon,” also called a “seasonal blue moon,” occurs about every 2.5 years.

The “seasonal blue moon” is the third of four full moons during the current season and occurs between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox.

Abu Zahra clarified that despite its name, the moon will not appear blue, but will look like a normal full moon.

The term “supermoon” describes a full moon or new moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest distance to the Earth. In this case, the distance between the moon and the center of the Earth is 361,969 kilometers, Abu Zahra explained.

The supermoon will rise in the southeast after sunset and may initially appear orange as dust and particles in the atmosphere scatter reflected sunlight, but as it climbs higher in the sky it will become more of a silvery-white color and will remain visible all night until sunrise on Tuesday.

Although the supermoon may appear larger and brighter than a regular full moon, Abu Zahra said most observers are unlikely to notice a significant difference due to possible obstructions such as clouds or street lights. He added that judging its apparent size can be difficult when the moon is high in the sky.

The supermoon will have minimal impact on our planet. Due to the moon’s gravitational pull, there will be slightly higher and lower tides, which is a normal monthly phenomenon during full moons. This additional gravitational pull of the supermoon will not result in any unusual weather or geological activity.

This is the ideal time of the month to observe the brightly lit lunar surface, as the landscape appears flattened and casts short shadows due to the sun fully illuminating the lunar surface.