Skywatchers will have a full slate of full moons in 2023 with the first coming only a few days into the new year.
According to NJ.com, there will be 13 full moons, four supermoons and one blue moon this year.
Starwalk.space has given the following dates for each moon:
- Jan. 6: Wolf Moon
- Feb. 5: Snow Moon
- March 7: Worm Moon
- April 6: Pink Moon
- May 5: Flower Moon
- June 4: Strawberry moon
- July 3: Super Buck Moon
- Aug. 1: Super Sturgeon Moon
- Aug. 31: Super Blue Moon
- Sept. 29: Super Harvest Moon
- Oct. 28: Hunter’s Moon
- Nov. 27: Beaver Moon
- Dec. 27: Cold Moon
August has two full moons, the second called a blue moon, NJ.com reported.
Supermoons are when the orbit of the moon is the closest to earth than the rest of the year, making the moon appear to be about 30% bigger than at other times.
In addition to the 13 full moons, 2023 will also have other big events in the night sky, according to EarthSky.
On Jan. 22, Venus and Saturn will meet less than half a degree apart and you will be able to see the “near miss” through binoculars with Venus appearing brighter than Saturn and to the left of the ringed planet.
On Jan. 30 and 31, the moon will cover Mars in what is called lunar occultation and will again be able to be seen through binoculars.
On March 1, Venus will be to the right of Jupiter. Then on April 21 and 22, Venus will have several “friends” joining it — Aldebaran, Hyades and Pleiades along with a crescent moon.
A similar show will happen on June 1 and 2 with Venus being joined by the Beehive star cluster with Mars in the background. Pollux and Castor be in the sky above Venus.
From July 19 to July 21, Venus will have Mars, Mercury and Regulus traveling what it along with a waxing crescent moon.
The moon will cover Antares on Aug. 24.
A partial solar eclipse will occur on Oct. 14 when the sun, moon and Earth will line up. The eclipse will be visible from Oregon, Nevada and the Four Corners area, Texas and the Gulf of Mexico.
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