First supermoon of August shines over Maine

The first of two supermoons in August was visible Tuesday night, drawing skywatchers to see one of the brightest full moons of the year.

A video shared by Twitter user @kathywoughter shows the supermoon shining brightly Tuesday night over Old Orchard Beach, in Maine.

The term supermoon was coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle, and describes a new or full moon that appears during the moon’s perigee, or closest approach to Earth.

The supermoon was expected to reach its peak at 2:32 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, but continue to appear full through early Thursday, according to NASA.

A blue moon is the term for the second full moon in a calendar month, which occurs approximately every 2–3 years, according to NASA. This month’s second supermoon on Aug. 30, a super blue moon, is even rarer, occurring approximately once per decade, the agency said.

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