Photographers Around the World Capture Spectacular Blue Supermoon

Aug 21, 2024

A composite image featuring three scenes of the moon: an orange moon rising behind ancient ruins (left), a bright moon surrounded by clouds (center), and an orange moon setting behind a modern city skyline with a prominent skyscraper (right). — Left to right: Alexandros Maragos in Greece, Andrew McCarthy, Dan Martland in New York.

The biggest and brightest full Moon of 2024 so far has been visible in the sky the past couple of nights and photographers have been out capturing the rare Blue Supermoon also known as the Sturgeon Moon.

While it was at its fullest on August 19, it still looked impressive last night when there was also a rare lunar occultation of Saturn. Photographer Tim Cornbill shot the rare phenomenon from his back garden in Birmingham, U.K. in the early hours of this morning.

“[It was] amazing to see them in the same frame and also to see the planet disappearing behind the Moon and then popping back out the other side 45 mins later,” Cornbill writes on his Instagram page.

A close-up image of the moon against a black background. The surface shows distinct craters and lunar maria, with varying shades of gray highlighting the texture and features of the moon's terrain. — Look closely and a tiny Saturn is visible at the top of the Supermoon. | Tim Cornbill

The image shows the Moon's grey, cratered surface in the foreground with Saturn appearing small and distant in the black sky above the Moon. Saturn's rings are faintly visible. The perspective highlights the vastness of space. — Captured in the early hours of this morning (August 21). | Tim Cornbill

The occultation was not visible from the United States. Instead, skygazers in North America, Australia, and Asia saw the duo rise together in what’s known as conjunction. Photographer Dan Martland captured a timelapse of the rising Supermoon above midtown Manhattan and Saturn is visible ascending parallel to Earth’s natural satellite.

Check out my Timelapse of tonight’s moonrise above midtown Manhattan #NYC
And if you look closely you may see #Saturn rise too. 🪐🌕 pic.twitter.com/DnWlL9zBFz

— Dan Martland (@DanTVusa) August 21, 2024

The Supermoon just by itself was a spectacular sight to behold. Both Martland and Gary Hershorn were in and around New York City to capture the Sturgeon Moon rising over the iconic Big Apple skyline.

The Statue of Liberty against a night sky with clouds, holding a bright full moon that appears to be sitting on the torch. The statue is well-lit, emphasizing its details, while the moon glows with a warm light, enhancing the dramatic effect of the scene. — The Supermoon had to break through the clouds on Monday night but Gary Hershorn still captured this magnificent image of the Statue of Liberty.

A full moon appears perfectly aligned behind the spire of the Empire State Building at night, giving the illusion of the skyscraper piercing through the moon. The building is illuminated with golden lights, contrasting against the dark sky. — Last night (Tuesday) was clearer and Hershorn captured a 97 percent Moon above the Empire State Building.

A night view of a city skyline with illuminated skyscrapers reflecting against a dark sky. The full moon is prominently visible between two buildings, casting a serene glow over the scene. The foreground features lower buildings, and a river runs through the middle of the image. — Gary Hershorn

Back over on the other side of the Atlantic, photographer Alexandros Maragos captured a stunning photo of the Sturgeon Moon rising behind the ancient Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion, Greece.

A full moon rises behind the ancient ruins of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Greece. The bright, golden moon contrasts with the dark sky, while the stone columns of the temple are silhouetted against the lunar backdrop. — The image was selected for NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day. | Alexandros Maragos

Back on the East Coast, Dan Martland made good use of his vantage point in New Jersey to use a Sony 600mm lens attached to his Sony Alpha 1 to make the Supermoon look enormous above Manhattan.

A vibrant city skyline at night featuring illuminated skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building. A large, reddish-orange full moon rises dramatically behind the buildings, partially obscured, casting a warm glow over the scene. — Dan Martland.

A vibrant full moon rises behind the iconic Empire State Building, which is illuminated against the night sky. The city skyline, with its many skyscrapers and lights, creates a breathtaking contrast with the large orange moon in the background. — Shot 14 miles way in New Jersey. | Dan Martland

Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy may be better known for shooting celestial objects further away than the Moon but he didn’t pass up the chance to shoot the rare Blue Supermoon.

A bright full moon shines in the night sky, surrounded by illuminated clouds. The moon's detailed surface is visibly textured with craters and shades of gray, casting a soft glow on the clouds, creating a serene and mystical atmosphere. — McCarthy used composite HDR techniques to show off the clouds while maintaining detail on the Moon. | Andrew McCarthy

Why Was This Week’s Blue Supermoon Unusual?

Most people know that a Blue Moon occurs when there are two full Moons in one month. But this was not the case with last night’s Moon, so why is it still called a Blue Moon?

Live Science notes that last night was another type of Blue Moon known as a seasonal Blue Moon which occurs when there are four full Moons in an astronomical season — the third one is the Blue Moon.

Since the summer solstice on June 20, there have been full Moons on June 22 and July 21 — there will be a fourth on September 18 just before the equinox on September 22.

The next seasonal Blue Moon is eight years away and the next monthly Blue Moon won’t be until May 31, 2026.