Puricare Industrial Enterprises: SUPERMOONS - What Is a Supermoon and When Is the Next One? - When the Full Moon or New Moon occurs during the Moon's closest approach to Earth, its perigee, it is often called a supermoon. A Supermoon can be a New or a Full Moon. When a Full Moon takes place when the Moon is near its closest approach to Earth, it is called a Super Full Moon. When there is a New Moon around the closest point to Earth, it is known as a Super New Moon. A Micromoon, on the other hand, is when a Full or a New Moon is near its farthest point from Earth, around apogee. It's also known as a Minimoon, Mini Full Moon, or a Mini New Moon. A New Moon at perigee is also often referred to as a supermoon. However, this event usually garners less attention because a New Moon is invisible from Earth. The Moon's orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle, but elliptical, with one side closer to Earth than the other. As a result, the distance between the Moon and Earth varies throughout the month and the year. On average, the distance is about 382,900 kilometers (238,000 miles). The point on the Moon's orbit closest to Earth is called the perigee and the point farthest away is the apogee. A Supermoon looks larger than a Micromoon. There are no official rules as to how close or far the Moon must be to qualify as a Supermoon or a Micro Moon. Different outlets use different definitions. A Full Moon classified as a Supermoon by one source may not qualify as a Super Full Moon by another.

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Supermoons

What Is a Supermoon and When Is the Next One?

The Moon's orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle, but elliptical, with one side closer to Earth than the other. As a result, the distance between the Moon and Earth varies throughout the month and the year. The point on the Moon's orbit closest to Earth is called the perigee and the point farthest away is the apogee.

The best time to enjoy a Super Full Moon, or any other Full Moon, is just after moonrise, when the Moon is close to the horizon. Just before moonset is also a good time. When the Full Moon is low, it looks bigger and brighter than when it's higher up in the sky. This is called the Moon illusion, and actually makes more of a difference to what it looks like than the real boost you get from it being a bit closer to Earth.

By Vigdis Hocken and Aparna Kher

Time and Date AS

A Supermoon can be a New or a Full Moon.

When the Full Moon or New Moon occurs during the Moon's closest approach to Earth, its perigee, it is often called a supermoon.

When's the Next Super Moon?

2021 will see two Super Full Moons — on April 26/27 and May 26.

The Full Moon in April is traditionally known as Pink Moon and the Full Moon in May is called the Flower Moon in many Northern Hemisphere cultures.

When does the Moon rise in your location?

If the weather cooperates in your location, Full Moons make for spectacular photographs, especially when the Moon is close to the horizon.

Use our Moon photography tips to capture it with your camera or smartphone.

Moon's distance from the Earth visualized

There will also be two Super New Moons in 2021.

The first takes place on November 4/5 and the other on December 3/4, depending on your time zone.

The Super New Moons, like any other New Moon, won't be visible from Earth, but the dark night skies will provide great opportunities for some great night sky watching, especially around December 4 when the Geminids start becoming active.

There is also a total solar eclipse on December 4, 2021, visible from Antarctica.

Super Full and New Moon

When a Full Moon takes place when the Moon is near its closest approach to Earth, it is called a Super Full Moon.

When there is a New Moon around the closest point to Earth, it is known as a Super New Moon.

A Micromoon, on the other hand, is when a Full or a New Moon is near its farthest point from Earth, around apogee.

It's also known as a Minimoon, Mini Full Moon, or a Mini New Moon.

How can Full Moon be in the daytime?

Perigee and Apogee

A New Moon at perigee is also often referred to as a supermoon.

However, this event usually garners less attention because a New Moon is invisible from Earth.

Moon Phases in Your City

The Moon's orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle, but elliptical, with one side closer to Earth than the other.

A Supermoon looks larger than a Micromoon.

As a result, the distance between the Moon and Earth varies throughout the month and the year. On average, the distance is about 382,900 kilometers (238,000 miles).

The point on the Moon's orbit closest to Earth is called the perigee and the point farthest away is the apogee.

Not an Official Name

Supermoon is not an official astronomical term.

It was first coined by an astrologer, Richard Nolle, in 1979. He defined it as ‘a New or a Full Moon that occurs when the Moon is at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in its orbit’.

It is not clear why he chose the 90% cut off in his definition.

Supermoon Definition

There are no official rules as to how close or far the Moon must be to qualify as a Supermoon or a Micro Moon.

Different outlets use different definitions. Due to this, a Full Moon classified as a Supermoon by one source may not qualify as a Super Full Moon by another.

The following definitions are used at timeanddate.com:

· Supermoon: A Full or New Moon that occurs when the center of the Moon is less than 360,000 kilometers (ca. 223,694 miles) from the center of Earth.

· Micromoon: A Full Moon or New Moon that takes place when the center of the Moon is farther than 405,000 kilometers (ca. 251,655 miles) from the center of Earth.

A Super Full Moon's angular size is 12.5%–14.1% bigger than a Micro Full Moon, and 5.9%–6.9% bigger than an average Full Moon (in years 1550–2650).

Astronomical terms & definitions

Technical Name: Perigee-syzygy

The technical term for a Supermoon is perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system.

The Full Moon looks larger near the horizon.

In astronomy, the term syzygy refers to the straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies. Another name is perigee Full Moon.

When the Moon is close to the lunar nodes of its path during a syzygy, it causes a total solar eclipse or a total lunar eclipse

Looks Bigger and Brighter

Because it's so close to Earth, a Super Full Moon also looks about 30% brighter than a Micro Full Moon and about 16% brighter than an average Full Moon.

The Supermoon on November 14, 2016, was the closest since January 26, 1948.

The next time a Full Moon will come even closer to Earth is on November 25, 2034 (dates based on UTC time).

Moon Illusion: Best at Moonrise and Moonset

The best time to enjoy a Super Full Moon, or any other Full Moon, is just after moonrise, when the Moon is close to the horizon. Just before moonset is also a good time.

When the Full Moon is low, it looks bigger and brighter than when it's higher up in the sky.

This is called the Moon illusion, and actually makes more of a difference to what it looks like than the real boost you get from it being a bit closer to Earth.

Taking pictures of the Moon

Higher Tides at Supermoon

The Moon's gravitational pull causes tides.

The greatest difference between high and low tide is around Full Moon and New Moon.

During these Moon phases , the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun combine to pull the ocean’s water in the same direction.

These tides are known as spring tides or king tides.

Supermoons lead to around 5 cm (2 inches) larger variation than regular spring tides, called perigean spring tides.

The tidal range is smallest during the two Quarter Moons, known as neaps or neap tide.

Natural Disaster Trigger?

Although the Sun and the Moon’s alignment cause a small increase in tectonic activity, the effects of the Supermoon on Earth are minor.

Many scientists have conducted studies, and they haven’t found anything significant that can link the Super Moon to natural disasters.

According to NASA, the combination of the Moon being at its closest and at Full Moon, should not affect the internal energy balance of the Earth since there are lunar tides every day.

Vigdis Hocken

Web Editor & Journalist

From 2011 to 2020, Vigdis wrote about a large variety of topics for timeanddate.com and was in charge of our social media, newsletters, and front page. She was also the editor in charge of timeanddate.no, our Norwegian website. She has an MA in journalism, history, and philosophy.

Aparna Kher

Web Editor & Journalist

Aparna joined timeanddate in 2012 and covers astronomy, space science, and holidays around the world. She has worked and lived on three continents and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Delhi, an MA in International Politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, and a PhD in Political Science from Binghamton University in New York. When not working, she likes to read microhistories, plan parties, and learn new skills.

Time and Date AS is based just outside Stavanger, Norway, where our teams work together to operate timeanddate.com, the world's top-ranking website for time and time zones. With free online services you can rely on, we make it easier to organize your life, both at work and at home.

Our German and Norwegian sites, timeanddate.de and timeanddate.no, offer the same high level of accuracy and reliability as our English language site.

You can also enjoy our content on your phone or tablet because we make apps for iOS and Android too!

And if you are a developer, try our API service to tap into our extensive databases for time and time zones, calendars, holidays, and more.

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/super-full-moon.html

You might also like:

All About the Moon