On the night of August 30 to 31, a rare phenomenon was observed in the sky: a blue Supermoon. If your sleep is sensitive to the full moon, you may have slept poorly.
If you looked at the sky at night Wednesday August 30 to Thursday August 31 2023, you could observe a phenomenon that only happens once every 10 or 20 years according to Nasa : there super blue moon. The bad news is that it may have prevented you from getting a good night’s sleep… The lunar cycle lasts 29.5 days. During this period, the moon moves to different points relative to the Earth. When she is at her closest point to earth and that she is full, it is called “super moon”. During this event, as the moon is full and a little closer to us than usual, it looks even bigger. We also speak of a “blue moon” when the full moon occurs. twice in the same month instead of once a month, thus offering a total of 13 full moons, instead of the usual 12 in a year. “This happens every two to three years“says NASA. Tonight, the moon will be at its closest point to the earth when it is full and it is the second of the month. Hence the name of super moon blue. But nothing to do with the color, don’t expect to see a blue colored moon! It is in fact rather orange or even red.
Tonight is the last “super blue Moon” before 2037, a rare phenomenon where the Moon is both at its closest level to Earth and directly opposite the Sun.
It will appear 14% larger!
View from my house: pic.twitter.com/P2ctx0aOHH– The teacher 2.0 (@0Leprof2) August 30, 2023
The moon has an impact on the human body, whether in terms of moods, the menstrual cycle, appetite or even sleep. Many people also complain of sleeping poorly on full moon nights. In study published in 2013researchers have found thataround the full moonTHE deep sleep decreasedTHE falling asleep time increased by 5 minutes and the total sleep time was reduced by 20 minutes. In research published in 2021 in the journal Science Advancessleep was also delayed, shortened and poorer quality the 3 to 5 nights before the full moon. “It is mainly the moonlight available during the first hours of the night that is most likely to modify the onset of sleep.” found the American and Argentine authors. While no scientific evidence has demonstrated the effect of the Super Blue Moon on sleep, it is assumed that people who sleep poorly during full moons had restless sleep on the night of the 30 August. next “Super Blue Moon” will occur in 2037.