The cosmos is offering up a double feature in August: a pair of supermoons culminating in a rare blue moon.

Catch the first show Tuesday evening as the full moon rises in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That鈥檚 because it will be closer than usual, just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, thus the supermoon label.

The moon will be even closer the night of Aug. 30 鈥� a scant 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) distant. Because it鈥檚 the second full moon in the same month, it will be what鈥檚 called a blue moon.

鈥淲arm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,鈥� said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.

The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won鈥檛 happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.

Masi will provide a live of Tuesday evening鈥檚 supermoon, as it rises over the Coliseum in Rome.

鈥淢y plans are to capture the beauty of this 鈥� hopefully bringing the emotion of the show to our viewers,鈥� Masi said in an email.

鈥淭he supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky,鈥� he added.

This year鈥檚 first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those.

Provided clear skies, binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the experience, Espenak said, revealing such features as lunar maria 鈥� the dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows 鈥� and rays emanating from lunar craters.

According to the Old Farmer鈥檚 Almanac, the August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That鈥檚 because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute鈥檚 Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press

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