Photo NASA
So-called “super” because it’s slightly closer to Earth and “blue” because it’s the second full moon in a month. It peaks at 9:36pm ET on Aug. 30 (0136 UTC on Aug. 31).
Tonight: The full Moon will be Wednesday night, August 30, 2023, appearing opposite the Sun (in Earth-based longitude) at 9:36 PM EDT. The planet Saturn, just a few days from its closest and brightest for the year, will appear near the Moon. As evening twilight ends (at 8:42 PM) Saturn will be 5 degrees to the upper right of the Moon, and will appear to swing clockwise around the Moon as the evening progresses. The Moon will appear full for 3 days around the peak of the full Moon, from Tuesday night to Friday morning.
This full Moon will be the second full Moon in August, making it a Blue Moon by the newer definition introduced by Sky & Telescope magazine in 1946. The older definition of Blue Moon, dating back to at least the 1500s, is the name for the third full Moon in a season that has four Moons.
As summer ends and fall begins, the daily periods of sunlight continue to shorten, changing at their fastest around the autumnal equinox.
Evening Sky Highlights:
On the evening of Wednesday, August 30, 2023 (the night of the full Moon), as evening twilight ends (at 8:42 PM EDT), the rising Moon will be 8 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon with the planet Saturn 5 degrees to the upper right. The planet Mars will be setting on the western horizon. The bright star appearing closest to overhead will be Vega at 85 degrees above the eastern horizon. Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra the lyre, is one of the three bright stars in the Summer Triangle (along with Deneb and Altair). Vega is the 5th brightest star in our night sky, about 25 light-years from Earth, has twice the mass of our Sun, and shines 40 times brighter than our Sun.
For a full seasonal report about our celestial skies and schedule, click on the link below from (NASA) National Aeronautics and Space Administration.