Two supermoon events, including a sturgeon supermoon, are happening in August

A supermoon seen on July 3, in Kansas City, Mo. The next two supermoons of 2023 will take place at the beginning and end of August.

Charlie Riedel/AP

The moon will seem extra big and bright and thus be quite a sight this August, with a sturgeon supermoon visible on Tuesday and then a rare blue supermoon coming at the end of the month.

Two of the four supermoon events of 2023 will take place in August, with the first happening on Tuesday. On Aug. 30 there will be a blue supermoon, which won’t happen again until 2032. Here’s what you need to know so you can catch this summer’s lunar double feature.

What is a supermoon?

A perigean full moon, better known as a supermoon, happens when the moon is full during its closest orbits to Earth. This gives its appearance an extra pop, making it look up to 8% bigger and 16% brighter than a typical full moon, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

According to NASA, the moon’s typical orbit ranges between 226,000 and 251,000 miles from Earth, but variances can bring it a bit closer or farther away. Only the closest three or four approaches each year qualify as supermoons. The last one was on July 3.

Up first is the sturgeon supermoon on Tuesday

The sturgeon moon got its name from Native American tribes that found that the giant sturgeon from the Great Lakes were “most readily caught” at this time of the summer, according to Farmer’s Almanac. It’s also known as a green corn moon, grain moon, flying up moon, harvest moon, ricing moon, black cherries moon and the mountain shadow moon.

This spectacle will hit peak illumination at 2:32 p.m. ET. “That evening, look toward the southeast…