As Wednesday nights go, tonight stands to be special.
The sun will set just before 8, and a full, super blue moon will rise that will command a second look. The weather forecast is favorable, too.
What makes this astronomical event significant is its timing. The "blue" in blue moon isn't a nod to color, however, but its rare happening. According to sky-watchers, a blue moon is a phenomenon of two full moons in a month.
And this full moon also happens to be super. This time when the moon is full, it is closer to the Earth than at other times of the month. A super blue moon coincides with the moon in full being as close to Earth in its lunar orbit as it ever gets, making the moon appear larger. NASA says, on average, a super blue moon occurs once a decade.
"A lot of the attraction of tonight's astronomical event comes from the cosmic coincidence that this supermoon happens to also be a blue moon," said Kaitlin Ehret, planetarium programs coordinator at the U's Bell Museum.
To take in this special full moon, Mike Shaw, an astrophotographer and author, suggests people position themselves at the western edge of a lake. The best viewing time should be between 8:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., after moonrise.
"Watching a full supermoon rise during twilight over a lake is stunning," Shaw said, adding that it will have a deep orange-red color because of wildfire smoke. "It will be simply spectacular."
Tonight's wonder reminds Shaw of two solar eclipses in North America on his calendar:
