Once in a blue moon we experience a blue moon, and the next one will be in August. 

Two types of blue moons exist, and the full moon on Aug. 19 will be a seasonal blue moon. A seasonal blue moon occurs when a single season includes four full moons instead of three, according to NASA. The third full moon is known as a blue moon.

The second — and more well-known — kind of blue moon is a monthly blue moon, which is when there are two full moons in a given month. We last experienced one of these monthly full moons in August 2023, and the next one will be in May 2026.

The phrase "once in a blue moon" is fitting for things that don't happen very often, because blue moons occur only every 33 months. This is because the moon's cycle lasts 29.5 days, so a full moon that occurs in the first couple of days of the month will be followed by a second full moon in the last few days of the month, NASA reports. February is the only month in which a blue moon cannot occur because it is not long enough, even in a leap year.

The full moon for August has a few other superlatives too. It will also be the first in a series of supermoons. Supermoons are full moons that occur at the time when the moon is at its closest point, called its perigree, to Earth, NASA reports. The moon can look up to 14% larger in the night sky during a supermoon. We will also experience supermoons in September, October and November this year.

Lastly, the August full moon is called the sturgeon moon. This nickname came to be because it is the time of year when lake stugeon in the Great Lakes would be more readily caught, providing a good food supply for Native tribes. These fish used to be quite common in the Great Lakes, but they are more rare today, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. Other names for the August full moon include the corn moon, ricing moon and harvest moon, all references to it being the time of the year when field crops begin to mature.

The moon won't be the only thing to watch for in the night sky in August. Our biggest meteor shower of the year — the Perseids — will also reach its peak. The Perseids meteor shower began July 14, but it will reach its peak — when it produces the most meteors — the night of Aug. 11 into 12. During the peak period, the Perseids can produce between 50 and 75 shooting stars an hour.

Peak activity for the Perseids this year will occur when the moon is about 44% full. However, the moon should set about 1 a.m. that night, which is about the same time of night when meteor activity for this meteor shower is at its greatest, allowing for dark skies at the ideal time to see shooting stars, the American Meteor Society reports.  

You can experience the Perseids meteor showers with us this year. The Forest Preserve is hosting viewing parties at three different preserves from 8 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, the night of peak activity. Join us at Forked Creek Preserve, Hickory Creek Preserve and Whalon Lake to see if you can make a wish upon a shooting star. 

The Perseids is one of three meteor showers active in August. The southern delta Aquariids and the alpha Capricornids are also both active. Both experienced their peak activity in July, but the southern delta Aquariids will be active until Aug. 21 and the alpha Capricornids will be active until Aug. 15.