CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The first of four supermoons this year will rise next week, offering tantalizing views of Earth’s constant companion.
Stargazers can catch the first act on Monday as the full moon inches a little closer than usual, making it appear slightly larger and brighter in the night sky.
“I like to think of the supermoon as a good excuse to start looking at the moon more regularly,” said Noah Petro, project scientist for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
August’s supermoon kicks off a line of moon glasses. September’s supermoon will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. October will be the closest approach of the year, and November’s will round out the year.
What makes a moon so super?
More of a popular term than a scientific one, a supermoon occurs when a full moon phase synchronizes with a particularly close swing around Earth. This usually only happens three or four times a year and consecutively, given the moon’s ever-shifting, oval orbit.
A supermoon is obviously not bigger, but it can look that way, although scientists say the difference is barely noticeable.
“Unless you’ve looked at many full moons or compared them in pictures, it’s hard to tell the difference, but people should try,” Petro said in an email.
How do supermoons compare?
There is a quartet of supermoons this year.
The first will be 224,917 miles away. The next will be nearly 3,000 miles closer on the night of September 17 into the following morning. A partial lunar eclipse will also take place that night, visible in much of the Americas, Africa and Europe as the Earth’s shadow falls on the moon, resembling a small bite.
October’s supermoon will be the closest of the year at 222,055 miles from Earth, followed by November’s supermoon at a distance of 224,853 miles.
What’s in it for me?
Researchers point out that only the keenest of observers can discern the subtle differences. It’s easier to spot the change in brightness — a supermoon can be 30% brighter than average.
With the United States and other countries increasing lunar exploration with landers and eventually astronauts, the moon beckons brighter than ever. As project scientist for the first team of moonwalkers to come up under Apollo’s follow-up program, Artemis, Petro is proud of the renewed lunar interest.
“It really makes it more fun to stare at,” Petro said.
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