Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 August 20 [2]A large and orange-tinted moon is pictured rising beyond the pillars of an ancient structure. The foreground is dark and the night sky behind the Moon appear blue. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Supermoon Beyond the Temple of Poseidon Image Credit: [3]Alexandros Maragos Explanation: A supermoon occurred yesterday. And tonight's moon should also look impressive. [4]Supermoons appear slightly larger and brighter than most full moons because they reach their full phase when [5]slightly nearer to the Earth -- closer than 90 percent of all [6]full moons. This supermoon was also a blue moon given the definition that it is the third of four full moons occurring during a single season. [7]Blue moons are not usually blue, and a different definition holds that a [8]blue moon is the second full moon that occurs during a single month. The [9]featured image captured the [10]blue supermoon right near its peak size yesterday as it was rising [11]beyond the [12]Temple of Poseidon in [13]Greece. [14]This supermoon is particularly unusual in that it is the [15]first of four successive supermoons, the next three occurring in September, October, and November. Tomorrow's picture: high energy sky __________________________________________________________________ [16]< | [17]Archive | [18]Submissions | [19]Index | [20]Search | [21]Calendar | [22]RSS | [23]Education | [24]About APOD | [25]Discuss | [26]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [27]Robert Nemiroff ([28]MTU) & [29]Jerry Bonnell ([30]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [31]Specific rights apply. [32]NASA Web Privacy, [33]Accessibility, [34]Notices; A service of: [35]ASD at [36]NASA / [37]GSFC, [38]NASA Science Activation & [39]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2408/SupermoonPoseidon_Maragos_1601.jpg 3. https://www.instagram.com/alexmaragos/ 4. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/what-is-a-supermoon/ 5. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/what-is-a-supermoon/ 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220612.html 7. https://moon.nasa.gov/news/197/super-blue-moons-your-questions-answered/ 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210831.html 9. https://www.instagram.com/p/C-3NZVEOdaV/ 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230905.html 11. https://youtu.be/mGl5ALlUI-Q?t=39 12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Poseidon,_Sounion 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece 14. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-super-blue-moon-will-be-visible-monday-night-what-does-that-mean-180984928 15. https://i2.pickpik.com/photos/19/144/45/cat-feeding-young-cat-animal-preview.jpg 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240819.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 20. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 22. https://apod.com/feed.rss 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 25. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240820 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240821.html 27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 30. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 32. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 33. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 34. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 35. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 36. https://www.nasa.gov/ 37. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 38. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 39. http://www.mtu.edu/