Super blue moon makes rare appearance 00:37. As millions of stargazers around the world looked at the sky Wednesday night, they saw a full moon appearing larger than average.

This week’s moon being super and blue isn’t the only thing that makes it special, scientists say. It’s also in the middle of a major lunar standstill , which happens only once every 18.6 years.

When the moon is higher up, it is viewed through less air, and that blue light is scattered less. The same happens with the sun every day: When it rises and sets, it takes on red and orange colors.

The 2023 lunar calendar has some treats in store for stargazers, as the year includes four big, bright supermoons and a rare blue moon, whose timing will provide a beautiful bookend to the popular ...

Stargazers should look to the east-southeast horizon on Aug. 30 to see the super blue moon rising around 8:24 p.m. ET, about an hour before this moon reaches peak fullness at 9:36 p.m. ET.

A super moon is rare, and a blue moon is rarer; a combination of the two is the rarest of them all. Here's your chance to see one Wednesday night.