Trio of 'invisible' supermoons kicked off this week
We may not see this year's Super New Moons, but watch for three 'micro' Full Moons, including the Halloween Micro Blue Moon
Most often when we talk of the night sky, it's about what we can see. Every once in a while, though, some of the most remarkable things involve what we can't see.
There will be a series of three supermoons in the sky, month by month, starting on September 17. Unlike the four supermoons we saw earlier this year - the Super Snow Moon, the Super Worm Moon, the Super Pink Moon and the Super Flower Moon - we are not going to see these upcoming supermoons.
This is because they are Super New Moons.
The New Moon, at 11 UTC on September 17, 2020. Credit: Stellarium/Scott Sutherland
A New Moon is the opposite of a Full Moon. At that time, when the Moon is more or less directly between the Earth and the Sun, the "dark side of the Moon" encompasses the entire Earth-facing side.
Thus, these Super New Moons will still be up there in the sky, they will just be lost to our view in the glare of daylight.
Visit our Complete Guide to Fall 2020 for an in depth look at the Fall Forecast, tips to plan for it and a sneak peek at the winter ahead
MICROMOON TRIO
While we won't see the next Super Full Moon until spring of 2021, we will see the counterparts of the Super New Moons, which are remarkable themselves.
There are three so-called "micromoons" coming up - on October 1, October 31 and November 30 - which are the farthest, smallest and dimmest Full Moons of 2020.
The three micromoons of 2020 (foreground) along with their three Super New Moon counterparts (background). Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Scott Sutherland
The October 31 Full Moon has also several distinctions, that sets it slightly apart from the rest.
It is the first Halloween Full Moon we've had since 2001, and we won't see another until 2039!
To balance out the April 8 Super Pink Moon, which was was 2020's closest, biggest and brightest Full Moon of the year (ie: perigee Moon), the October 31 Full Hunter's Moon is 2020's apogee Moon - the farthest, smallest and dimmest Full Moon of the entire year.
The October 31 Full Moon is the second Full Moon of the calendar month of October. That makes it a Blue Moon!
Note that there are two popular definitions of "Blue Moon". One states that the Blue Moon is the third Full Moon in a season with four Full Moons (seasons normally only have three). A more modern, and slightly more popular definition is the second of two Full Moons that occur within the same calendar month.
Related: Why is the Supermoon so compelling to us?
Sources: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio | RASC
