The August 2024 supermoon “Blue Moon” put on a spectacular show around the world, and we've collected some of the best photos to prove it.
The Supermoon Blue Moon will occur at 2:26 PM EDT (18:26 GMT) on Monday, August 19, 2024, when the Moon will be 100% fully illuminated. The time of moonrise will vary depending on your observing location.
August's full moon is a seasonal blue moon, the third full moon of a season with four full moons. According to NASA, a supermoon is a full moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest distance to Earth in its orbit. August's full moon will be followed by three other supermoons on September 17, October 17, and November 15.
Here are some of the best Supermoon Blue Moon photos from around the world, so sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
Photographer Tiziana Fabi captured the full moon rising over the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
A blue supermoon rises over St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. (Image credit: TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images)
Below is a striking image of an airplane flying over the super blue moon. The scene was captured from Kastellet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
A full moon and an airplane photographed from Copenhagen, Denmark (Image credit: THOMAS TRAASDAHL/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)
Another photo from Denmark shows the August full moon rising over the buildings of Kongekajen in Copenhagen.
A super blue moon photographed from Kongekadjen in Copenhagen. (Image by THOMAS TRAASDAHL/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)
The photo below shows a super blue moon captured by photographer Pablo Porciuncula behind the cable car on Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
A cable car passes in front of an August full moon on Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Image by PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer Henry Nichols captured the August full moon rising over the residential and office buildings of London's Canary Wharf business district, England. The photo was taken from Primrose Hill in north London.
A full moon partially obscured by clouds over London, England (Image credit: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
The photo below shows a super moon full moon shining above Huiju Temple, a Buddhist temple on the slopes of Mount Jiuhua in Qingyang County, Anhui Province, China.
A supermoon blue moon rises over Huiju Temple in Qingyang County, Anhui Province, China. (Image credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Kevin McCarthy captured this detailed image of the supermoon blue moon in Charlotte, North Carolina, US, on August 19, just before clouds rolled in.
“Close clouds were closing in so I had to act quickly to get an unobstructed photo of the Moon,” McCarthy told Space.com in an email. “The photo was taken handheld with a 150-600mm telephoto lens at full extension and cropped to show the fine detail.”
August's full moon captured in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA (Image credit: Kevin McCarthy)
Photographer J. David Ake captured an August full moon shining brightly above the spire of the U.S. Air Forces Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.
A bird in the full moon glows above the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, USA (Image credit: J. David Ake/Getty Images)
This striking photo of a super blue moon rising from Longquanshan Observatory in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China on August 19, 2024, was captured by photographer Yang Zhitian.
A super blue moon rises over the Longquanshan Observatory in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. (Image by Yang Zhitian/VCG via Getty Images)
Photographer Robbie Pesiwarissa woke up at 4am to capture this amazing image of a super blue moon setting over Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Opera House at dawn.
“The sky was a bit hazy, but the colors were mesmerizing,” Pesiwarisa told Space.com in an email.
Pre-dawn August full moon in Sydney, Australia. (Image credit: Robbie Pesiwarisa/Robbiesydney Photography)
This dramatic image by photographer Ahmet Okatli shows the August full moon rising behind the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
A super blue moon rising over the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. (Image courtesy of Suleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey)
Photographer Mert Alper-Dervis captured this beautiful photo of a super blue moon rising over Toronto, Canada.
Full moon in Toronto, Canada. (Image credit: Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images)
This iconic photo of a super blue moon rising through the clouds behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City, USA, was taken by photographer Gary Hirschhorn.
The August 2024 full moon rises behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City, USA (Image by Gary Hirschhorn/Getty Images)
Photographer Henrique Casinhas captured this colorful scene of a full moon shining next to the Cristo Rei statue in Lisbon, Portugal.
A super blue moon next to the Cristo Rei statue in Lisbon, Portugal. (Image credit: Henrique Casinhas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Photographer Nicolas Economou captured a full moon rising near the Dutch city of Eindhoven.
A super blue moon near the city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands. (Image credit: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Astronomer Gianluca Masi livestreamed the rise of the supermoon blue moon on the Virtual Telescope Project's WebTV page and YouTube channel. Afterwards, Masi sent us a beautiful image of a 100% illuminated moon rising over central Italy.
A super blue moon will rise over central Italy on August 19, 2024. (Image credit: Gianluca Masi/Virtual Telescope Project)
A supermoon, a blue moon, attracted a lot of attention when it rose over Seville, Spain. Photographer Cristina Kuichler captured the awe-inspiring sight of the full moon shining over the cathedral on August 19, 2024.
Full moon in Seville, Spain. (Image by CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer Lisa Czyzlowski sent us this beautiful photo of a full moon shining over Lauderdale Beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
“It was raining in Broward County today, but started to clear around 6pm. It still looked cloudy to the north and south, so my go-to spot was Fort Lauderdale Beach,” Scislowski told Space.com in an email.
“As the moon rose in the sky, a little moon dog was on the south side of the moon. It was a very active night,” Cislowski continued.
A supermoon of blue moon and moondogs shining over Lauderdale Beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA (Image credit: Lisa Scislowski)
In the photo below, the couple enjoy the view of the full moon rising behind Nacka in Stockholm, Sweden.
A super blue moon rising behind Nacka in Stockholm, Sweden. (Image by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)
This iconic photo of the full moon rising between the arches of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, was captured by photographer Riccardo De Luca.
A super blue moon rising between the arches of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy on August 19, 2024. (Image by Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu via Getty Images)
If the excitement of the Full Moon has you wanting to explore our rocky Moon in more detail, our Ultimate Guide to Observing the Moon can help you plan your next stargazing excursion. Whether you're interested in exploring the lunar maria, mountainous regions, or the many craters that cover its surface, you can also keep track of where astronauts, rovers, and landers have explored with our Apollo Landing Sites Observation Guide.
Looking for a telescope or binoculars to observe the moon? Check out our guides to the best binoculars deals and best telescope deals available today. Plus, our recommendations for the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography will help you prepare to capture your next stargazing experience.
Editor's note: If you've taken a photo of the Moon and would like to share it with Space.com readers, send your photo, comments, name and location to [email protected].
