What is a Supermoon?

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Hello Everyone! Today we are going to talk about 

Introduction

Have you ever heard of a "super moon"? It's become a popular term in recent years, but not everyone knows why it happens. In astronomy, a supermoon is used to refer to a new or full moon that occurred when the moon was within 90% of its closest approach to Earth. Nowadays, it's used to describe any full moon that looks bigger and closer to Earth than usual. It is an incredible view to look at in the starry sky.

Moon Phases & More


The moon goes through eight phases in a cycle that repeats every 29.5 days. These phases include the new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and crescent. When sunlight reflects off the near side of the moon, it becomes a full moon. During a year, we typically experience three to four supermoons.

The term "supermoon" was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 to refer to when the full moon is at the closest point of its orbit around the Earth. The moon's orbit is elliptical, meaning it is more intimate and farther away from the Earth at different times.

During a supermoon, the moon appears brighter, and more of the sun's light reflects off its surface and reaches Earth, making it a truly awe-inspiring event. Additionally, during new and full moons, the gravitational pull on Earth's oceans is strongest, resulting in more pronounced high and low tides. This is referred to as the spring tide, and it is especially pronounced during extreme perigean full moons. So let's look forward to these upcoming supermoons with excitement and appreciation for the wondrous universe we live in!

If you want to know more about Moon Phases visit:

 Moon Phases Drawing, Moon Phases Explanation, and Moon Phases Experiment with Oreos

Apogee & Perigee (Moon's Position)

The moon's elliptical orbit is what makes it appear larger and closer to Earth at certain times. Its orbit isn't a perfect circle, and one side of it, the perigee, is about 50,000 kilometers (30,000 miles) closer to Earth than the other side, the apogee. When the moon is at its closest point to Earth during a perigee it can look up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than when it's farthest away during an apogee.


Interestingly, there's a scientific term for the alignment of the Earth, sun, and moon as the moon orbits around the Earth: "syzygy." When a syzygy occurs during a perigee, we have what we call a super moon. So, the next time you come across the term, just remember that it's simply a full moon that appears closer to Earth than usual, thanks to the moon's elliptical orbit and its alignment with the Earth and the sun.

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