                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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.

                              2023 September 5
   A large Moon is seen behind a historic stone structure. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                       Blue Supermoon Beyond Syracuse
                     Credit & Copyright: Kevin Saragozza

   Explanation: The last full moon was doubly unusual. First of all, it
   was a blue moon. A modern definition of a blue moon is a second full
   moon to occur during one calendar month. Since there are 13 full moons
   in 2023, one month has to have two -- and that month was August. The
   first full moon was on August 1 and named a Sturgeon Moon. The second
   reason that the last full moon was unusual was because it was a
   supermoon. A modern definition of supermoon is a moon that reaches its
   full phase when it is relatively close to Earth -- and so appears a bit
   larger and brighter than average. Pictured, the blue supermoon of 2023
   was imaged hovering far behind a historic castle and lighthouse in
   Syracuse, Sicily, Italy.

      Gallery: Selected August 2023 supermoon images submitted to APOD
                      Tomorrow's picture: sky in motion
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

