While the moon is indeed technically 'full' and classified as a supermoon at its closest approach to Earth, the actual visual difference it presents is minimal—only about 7 percent larger and 15 percent brighter than an average full moon. This marginal increase is unlikely to be noticed by most observers, leading astronomer Andrew Fraknoi to dismiss the excitement surrounding it as somewhat exaggerated. 'If you’re really into astronomy, you’ll notice,' he admits, but for the casual observer, it’s not as special.
The term 'blue moon' traditionally refers to the second full moon of a month, resulting from the lunar cycle of about 27 days overlapping with the longer calendar months. As of now, this particular full moon is not a blue moon since it’s the first full moon of the month. However, it adds to the conversation around seasonal blue moons, where a season contains four full moons rather than three—something that will not occur again until 2027.
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