Stargazers to be amazed by Perseid meteor shower and blue moon in August

The new moon will rise at 18:14 p.m. (local time) on August 4. It has been dubbed the "invisible phase of the moon," as the illuminated side of the moon faces away from Earth towards the sun, according to NASA.

The moon itself rises and sets with the sun and is not present in the night sky, meaning that the night sky is darker and it is an excellent time to view other celestial objects.

The Perseids meteor shower will put on a dazzling display as it peaks on the night of August 11 and into the early hours of August 12.

The event will boast over 60 meteors per hour, second only to December's Geminids, which can generate over 100 shooting stars per hour.

However, according to Accuweather, onlookers may start to see meteors streak through the sky shortly after nightfall.

A blue moon will rise during the third week of the month. While the moon won’t actually appear blue, its name adds a touch of intrigue to this celestial event.

“This won't be a typical blue moon, either,” says Accuweather.

The website noted that the term "blue moon" typically refers to the second full moon to rise in a calendar month, an occurrence which takes place once every two or three years. However, the upcoming event will be a seasonal blue moon.

“Most seasons feature three full moons, but occasionally, like this summer, there are four. The third full moon in such a rare sequence is called a blue moon. After August, the next seasonal blue moon will occur on May 20, 2027,” it revealed.

In Vietnam, the phenomenon will happen at 1:27 a.m. on August 20.