Oak Hill, WV (WOAY-TV): The Supermoon will provide extra ambient light in the night sky next month, not on one, but two occasions!
Chief Meteorologist Chad Merrill has the details:
The first Supermoon, defined as a full moon that appears larger in the sky because of the moon’s closer proximity to Earth at the time, will occur on August 1.
The second Supermoon, which is called a “Blue Moon” because of how rare two full moons are in one month, will happen on August 30. The full cycle between full moons is 29.5 days, so a full moon must occur very early in the month to have a second one occur before the flip of the calendar. Two full moons appear in the same calendar month seven out of every 19 years.
The moon is at its second greatest perigee in August, so it will be closer to Earth than any other full moon going forward for the remainder of the year. Perigee is the term that defines the moon’s closer proximity to Earth. Apogee is the opposite; the moon’s farthest distance from Earth.
Chief Meteorologist Chad Merrill expects southern West Virginia will benefit from the full ambient light of the first Supermoon in early August thanks to clear skies under high pressure.
