Wyoming
Rare Super Blue Moon Will Look Huge Over Wyoming On Monday
Monday’s full moon over Wyoming won’t be just full, it will appear huge in the night sky, a rare time when the first full moon of August is also a blue supermoon.
The first full moon in August is also called a sturgeon or mountain shadows moon, and Monday will be the first of four consecutive supermoons to close out 2024.
Supermoons happen when “the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth,” according to NASA. When that happens, the moon can appear up to 30% brighter and 14% larger than usual given their position in the sky, usually close to the horizon.
Monday’s is also the first and only full moon of August, so how can a supermoon also be a blue moon?
The short answer is calendar quirks. The long answer is a bit more complicated and less colorful.
Once In A Blue Moon (Times Two)
There are technically two types of blue moons. The better-known is the second full moon in one month, according to the Gregorian calendar.
But there are also seasonal blue moons, and the third of four full moons in a single season is a blue moon. The Aug. 19 supermoon is the third full moon of summer 2024, making it a seasonal blue moon. And because it’s the first full moon of August it’s a sturgeon moon (named for the fish). And also it’s within 90% of the closest it’ll get to Earth, making it a supermoon.
If that’s confusing, join the club. Even Max Gilbraith, the planetarium coordinator for the University of Wyoming, wasn’t familiar with the concept of a seasonal blue moon.
“I’ve never really encountered it,” he said. “But this will be the third full moon of an astronomical season that has four full moons. I don’t know why it’s just the third moon is the blue moon, but I’m sure that there’s some reason for it.”
Despite the occurrence of four full moons in one season, only the third moon is the blue moon. The fourth full moon isn’t anything noteworthy, although it will be another supermoon in September.
Calendar Quirks
Gilbraith wasn’t familiar with a seasonal blue moon because it’s a chronological phenomenon rather than an astronomical one.
“There are meteorological seasons and astronomical seasons,” he said. “Meteorological seasons are adjusted for latitude and climate, whereas astronomical seasons are determined by the equinox or solstice.”
Lunar calendars could be as old as civilization itself, with archaeological evidence suggesting that humans used the moon as a time-measuring tool as far back as 30,000 years ago.
Julius Caesar was the progenitor of the modern solar calendar, developing it in 46 B.C. It was used for 1,600 years until Pope Gregory XIII modified it in 1582, creating the Gregorian calendar used worldwide today.
Gilbraith said the quirks of the Gregorian calendar are good for blue moons. The calendar’s blue moons have nothing to do with the astronomical aspects of the moon.
“It doesn’t create any physical phenomena that you can observe,” he said. “It’s just a timekeeping sort of happenstance. It might be fun for superstitious reasons, but it’s just an artifact of timekeeping.”
Cool Moon
Ironically, “once in a blue moon” isn’t as special as the idiom would suggest. Nevertheless, there are some fun facts about the upcoming sturgeon moon.
NASA said August’s full moon will be so super that it should appear full for three days between Sunday night and Wednesday morning.
Furthermore, it’s a rare super blue moon, which only happens every 10 to 20 years.
While the next seasonal blue moon will occur in May 2027, the next super blue moon will not occur until January 2037. So, put that on your Gregorian calendar.
For the record, “once in a blue moon” averages out to once every two or three years. That’s slightly more frequent than a leap day, one of the important quirks of the Julian calendar that endured into the Gregorian calendar.
The Minute Summer Stops
According to his astronomical calendar, Gilbraith said that Wyoming’s summer will officially end in the early hours of Sept. 22.
“Our terminal equinox is at 6:43 a.m. Mountain Time on Sept. 22,” he said. “That is the official end of summer for everyone in Wyoming to the minute, so no tree leaves are allowed to come down until then.”
The final full moon of this summer’s seasonal blue moons will rise Sept. 17, putting it within the final days of the season. So, Wyomingites should savor this summer’s sturgeon super blue moon while they can.
And no, the moon won’t literally be blue when it rises Monday.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
The expansion would open the spigot for 550,000 barrels per day of crude, the company says. Although the crude would mostly pass through eastern Wyoming, the venture opens opportunities for Wyoming oil producers in the region for more transportation access to U.S. refineries and shipping ports, according to Bridger and local industry officials.“It would be the biggest project in our history, if it comes to fruition,” Bridger Pipeline spokesperson Bill Salvin told WyoFile on Friday. “We are, however, in the really early stages of the project. But we’re very excited about it.”Industry trade groups speculate the Bridger Pipeline Expansion is part of a competitive scramble to fill a gap left by TC Energy’s Keystone XL project. That company, in 2021, abandoned the controversial project in the face of major opposition and protests. It would have transported Canadian tar-sands oil into the U.S. market via a route extending through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Among many challenges for Keystone XL was acquiring new rights-of-way easements. Though the Bridger Pipeline Expansion proposal requires some new rights-of-way, that’s not the case for the 210-mile Wyoming segment, according to Salvin.“All of that distance is within, or parallel to, existing pipeline corridors,” Salvin said.
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The Wyoming segment would pass through Crook, Weston, Niobrara, Goshen and Platte counties.Bridger Pipeline, a subsidiary of Casper-based True Companies, submitted a notice of intent to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in January and noted it will formally initiate environmental applications to the agency. Salvin told WyoFile he’s uncertain about the full spectrum of regulatory requirements in Wyoming.However, the company regards the Cowboy State as a great fit for the project, he said. “This [project proposal] just highlights how important the region is and how Wyoming is a very good place for energy projects like this.”Reached for comment, the Petroleum Association of Wyoming said the proposed pipeline only stands to benefit Wyoming producers and the state.“Investments like these, along with continued growth in areas like the Powder River Basin, show Wyoming will continue to play an important role in the nation’s energy markets,” PAW Vice President and Director of Communications Ryan McConnaughey told WyoFile. “Connecting in Guernsey allows product to be transported to refining hubs like Cushing, Oklahoma.” WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
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LARAMIE — Nasir Meyer converted a three-point play with 35 seconds remaining to give Wyoming Cowboys men’s basketball the lead for good, and Wyoming held Air Force Falcons men’s basketball scoreless over the final two minutes to secure a 66-62 victory Saturday night.
The win marked the 13th home victory of the season for Wyoming, which improved to 16-13 overall and 7-11 in conference play.
“Air Force deserves all the credit and let’s talk about a team that has every reason not to fight, but thats why they are Air Force and the cadets and I have a lot of respect for them,” Wyoming coach Sundance Wicks said. “They were not going to quit, and I didn’t drive that message home enough and hats off to Air Force because they deserved to win. We snuck away with a win. Adam Harakow showed when we need him and he was massive for us. Simm-Marten was made big plays and Naz was clutch for us late.”
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Wyoming shot 35% from the field and went 7 of 28 from 3-point range, making just two from beyond the arc in the second half. Air Force shot 49% overall and 44% from 3, hitting eight shots from long distance. The Cowboys made 13 of 16 free throws (81%) and scored 22 points off 15 Air Force turnovers while holding a 39-36 edge in rebounding.
Damarion Dennis led Wyoming with 16 points and three assists, going 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. Meyer finished with 14 points and tied a career best with eight rebounds. Adam Harakow added 14 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting, his first double-figure scoring game since the first meeting with Air Force. Simm-Marten Saadi had nine points in 13 minutes, and Kiani Saxon grabbed seven rebounds.
Air Force opened with back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 6-0 lead. Meyer scored Wyoming’s first basket, and Leland Walker added a 3-pointer to make it 8-5 with 16 minutes left in the first half.
Wyoming responded with a 9-0 run over nearly four minutes, with Saadi and Harakow each connecting from beyond the arc to give the Cowboys an 11-8 lead with under 14 minutes remaining. Air Force regained a 12-11 advantage as Wyoming went scoreless for more than two minutes.
Harakow’s second 3-pointer pushed the lead to 22-16 with nine minutes left in the half, and Wyoming used a 6-0 run while holding the Falcons without a field goal for more than four minutes to build a 28-18 lead with six minutes remaining. The Cowboys closed the half on a defensive stand, keeping Air Force scoreless for the final two minutes to take a 35-25 lead into the break. Wyoming scored 15 first-half points off turnovers.
The teams traded 3-pointers early in the second half, and Air Force cut the deficit to 40-31 with under 17 minutes left before trimming it to seven 90 seconds later. Walker answered with a 3-pointer to make it 43-33 with 15 minutes to go.
Air Force used a 9-0 run during a stretch in which Wyoming went more than 3 1/2 minutes without a point to pull within one with nine minutes left. The Falcons later tied the game at 51-51 with 5:30 remaining after forcing six straight missed shots.
A pair of free throws by Meyer and a basket from Saadi gave Wyoming a 57-53 lead with under four minutes to play. Air Force answered with three consecutive 3-pointers from Kam Sanders to take a 62-59 lead with two minutes left.
Meyer scored with 90 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one. On the next trip, he converted an and-one to give Wyoming a 64-62 lead with 35 seconds left. The Cowboys added late free throws to close out the 66-62 win.
Sanders led Air Force with 16 points and nine rebounds, going 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Eli Robinson added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Wyoming closes its home schedule Tuesday against Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball at 8 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the Cowgirls.
The 2-time defending champ Tongue River girls, along with both teams from Big Horn will represent Sheridan County in the small school version of March Madness.
Click here to see results from the regional tournaments.
2A Boys:
First Round:
Thursday, March 5th: (All games played at Casper College)
(#2E) Big Horn vs. (#3W) Shoshoni – Noon
(#1W) Thermopolis vs. (#4E) Sundance – 1:30pm
(#2W) Wyoming Indian vs. (#3E) Wright – 6:30pm
(#1E) Pine Bluffs vs. (#4W) Rocky Mountain – 8pm
Friday, March 6th: (All games played at Ford Wyoming Center)
Consolation Round:
Big Horn/Shoshoni loser vs. Thermopolis/Sundance loser – Noon LOSER OUT!
Wyoming Indian/Wright loser vs. Pine Bluffs/Rocky Mountain loser – 1:30pm LOSER OUT!
Semi-Finals:
Big Horn/Shoshoni winner vs. Thermopolis/Sundance winner – 6:30pm
Wyoming Indian/Wright winner vs. Pine Bluffs/Rocky Mountain winner – 8pm
Saturday, March 7th:
Friday Noon winner vs. Friday 1:30pm – Noon at Ford Wyoming Center Consolation Championship
Friday 6:30pm loser vs. Friday 8pm loser – 3pm at Natrona County High School 3rd Place
Friday 6:30pm winner vs. Friday 8pm winner – 7pm at Ford Wyoming Center Championship
2A Girls:
First Round:
Thursday, March 5th: (All games played at Casper College)
(#2W) Wyoming Indian vs. (#3E) Big Horn – 9am
(#1E) Sundance vs. (#4W) Shoshoni – 10:30am
(#2E) Tongue River vs. (#3W) Greybull – 3:30pm
(#1W) Thermopolis vs. (#4E) Pine Bluffs – 5pm
Friday, March 6th: (All games played at Ford Wyoming Center)
Consolation Round:
Wyoming Indian/Big Horn loser vs. Sundance/Shoshoni loser – 9am LOSER OUT!
Tongue River/Greybull loser vs. Thermopolis/Pine Bluffs loser – 10:30am LOSER OUT!
Semi-Finals:
Wyoming Indian/Big Horn winner vs. Sundance/Shoshoni winner – 3:30pm
Tongue River/Greybull loser vs. Thermopolis/Pine Bluffs loser – 5pm
Saturday, March 7th:
Friday 9am winner vs. Friday 10:30am winner – 9am at Ford Wyoming Center Consolation Championship
Friday 3:30pm loser vs. Friday 5pm loser – 10:30am at Ford Wyoming Center 3rd Place
Friday 3:30pm winner vs. Friday 5pm winner – 5:30pm at Ford Wyoming Center Championship
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