A super moon occurs when the moon is in its closest approach to Earth. The difference in the moon's appearance is hard to see with the naked eye.
According to Fred Espanak, an eclipse expert and retired NASA astrophysicist, there will be four supermoons in the summer of 2022. Espanak defines a super moon as a full moon within 10% of its closest approach to Earth.
July 13, 2022, will be the closest supermoon this year. This full moon is often referred to as the Buck Moon, although it has different nicknames according to different cultures. The total lunar eclipse will coincide with the May supermoon.
When to see the next full moon is part of the full moon calendar.
The term "supermoon" has only been used in the past 40 years, but it received a lot of attention in late 2016 when three supermoons occurred in a row. The November 2016 super moon was the closest in 69 years.
| Name | Date | Distance from Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Flower Moon | May 16 at 12:15 a.m. EDT (0415 GMT) | 225,015.3 miles (362,127 km) |
| Strawberry Moon | June 14 7:52 a.m. EDT (1152 GMT) | 222,238.4 miles (357,658 km) |
| Buck Moon | July 13 at 2:38 P.M. EDT (1838 GMT) | 222,089.3 miles (357,418 km) |
| Sturgeon Moon | August 11 at 9:36 P.M. EDT (0136 GMT) | 224,569.1 miles (361,409 km) |
The moon is not a perfect circle. It has an average distance of 382,900 km from Earth, but its apogee and perigee are not always the same.
The main reason the moon is not a perfect circle is that there are a lot of forces pulling on it.
The different gravities of the Earth, sun and planets affect the moon's position.
There are two key ingredients for a super moon. The moon needs to be at its closest approach to the Earth in 27 days. When the sun fully illuminates the moon, the moon needs to be at its full phase every 29.5 days. You don't see a supermoon every month because the moon's position on the Earth causes it to change orientation.
The moon will appear as much as 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than usual, but it is hard to notice unless you are a very careful moon-watcher.
If it is very close to the horizon, the supermoon may look large to you. That has nothing to do with astronomy and everything to do with how the human brain works. This effect is called the "moon illusion" and may arise from a number of different things. Scientists suggest that the brain is comparing the moon to nearby buildings or objects, or that our brain is wired to process things on the horizon as bigger than things in the sky.
The term "supermoon" didn't originate in astronomy, but in astrology, which studies the movements of heavenly objects to make predictions about human behavior and events. Richard Nolle mentioned the term in a 1979 article for Dell Horoscope magazine. Nolle defined a supermoon as a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near its closest approach to Earth.
The term received more attention in the last few years. The word "supermoon" was not used often until at least 2011. The largest supermoon in 69 years happened in November of 2016 and interest in it hit a high. The term appears to be more popular in Southeast Asia and North America, with less interest in places like Europe or India.
Dean Regas, outreach astronomer at the Cincinatti Observatory, told Space that recent terms such as "supermoon" or "black moon" could create a perception of false events among the public. Regas, who co-hosted the PBS program Star Gazers, said the term "supermoon" is a great public outreach term for astronomy that could have other benefits.
He said that it was a great way to get the public interested.
There was a lunar eclipse on January 20-21, 2019. There are lunar eclipses when the Earth is between the sun and moon. The only light the moon gets is reflected from Earth.
There were three supermoons in a row at the end of the year. The closest super moon in recent memory was on Nov. 14 and it got the most attention. The closest full moon to Earth in 69 years was on January 26, 1948.
The January 1912 full moon was 100 kilometers closer to Earth than the November 2016 full moon. skywatchers who are around in November 2034 will get a special treat, as the moon will be even closer than the 1912 and 2016 moons.
NASA can help you explore supermoons in more detail. The Natural History Museum has a display on the super moon cycle. TimeandDate.com has more about when supermoons occur.
NASA. July 28, 2021. What is a super moon? NASA. May 9, 2022.
A.Kher and V. Hocken. What is a super moon and when is it next? The time and date are listed. May 9, 2022.
B. Berman was born on May 3, 1942. A supermoon is when there is a full moon. There is a website called Almanac.com. May 9, 2022.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
