Super Blue Moon: What is it, and where are the best places to see it in Europe?

Stargazers are in for a double treat this week: a rare 'Super Blue Moon' Saturn peeking from behind.

The cosmic curtain rises Wednesday night with the second full moon of the month, the reason it’s considered blue. It’s dubbed a super moon because it’s closer to Earth than usual, appearing especially big and bright.

This will be the closest full moon of the year, just 357,344 kilometers or so away. That’s more than 160 kilometres) closer than the last super moon on 1 August. 

As a bonus, Saturn will be visible as a bright point 5 degrees to the upper right of the moon at sunset in the east-southeastern sky, according to NASA. The ringed planet will appear to circle clockwise around the moon as the night wears on.

There won’t be another blue supermoon until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.

While a supermoon can make for a spectacular backdrop in photos of landmarks around the world, its intensified gravitational pull also makes tides higher. 

That's because when the moon is full, the sun and the moon are pulling in the same direction, which has the effect of increasing tides above normal ranges. 

The moon's gravitational pulls are even stronger when it's closer to Earth, so the tides are even higher.

If you're in the UK and hoping to see the Suber Blue Moon tonight then visibility depends where in the country you are. 

"Tonight there is a band of cloud moving into the west and south west. So the best chance of any good sightings will be in central, eastern and northern parts of the UK where there will be good spells of clear skies," Oliver Claydon from the Met Office tells Euronews. 

"Under those clear skies it will be quite chilly, so wrap up warm if you are heading out