Super blue moon to delight Northern Ireland stargazers

A supermoon occurs when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth in its orbit, resulting in a larger and brighter appearance in the night sky

A celestial delight will unfold this week, providing stargazers with a treat - the August super blue moon.

The rare lunar sight will peak on Wednesday night but it will look fairly similar on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

The term super blue moon refers to a combination of two lunar events: a supermoon and a blue moon.

A supermoon occurs when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth in its orbit, resulting in a larger and brighter appearance in the night sky.

A blue moon, on the other hand, is a term used to describe the second full moon that occurs within a single calendar month.

The combination of these two events creates a visually stunning display that captivates sky watchers.

According to Astronomy Ireland, a super blue moon hasn't happened since 2009, and won't happen again until 2037.

"As there are 12 full moons every year, that means there have been 168 full moons to give one super blue moon," it says.

"This is how rare super blue moons are," the organisation's David Moore said.

Joe McNeill took this photograph of the Sturgeon Moon over Newry at the start of August

Coastal areas and the countryside, away from light pollution, will provide the best views.

"On Wednesday night, the planet Saturn will also be just above the moon," Mr Moore added.

"This did not happen in 2009, nor will it happen in 2037.

"So, for a super blue moon to have a bright planet close to it is extremely rare, probably once in a lifetime or rarer."

The best time to watch is just as the moon is rising.

From the island of Ireland this happens from 20:15 BST on Tuesday, from 20:35 on Wednesday, and on Thursday from 20:50.

The question is will the weather block the view?

Patchy cloud is forecast for Tuesday evening, so there will be some clear spells to enjoy the view.

Cloudier weather is expected to move in from the west on the main night, Wednesday, but some clear spells are also forecast.

Thursday looks set to be the cloudiest of the three nights.

Stay tuned to the forecasts for updates, as cloud detail can change.

Good luck.