The first of four supermoons for this year is set to grace the skies next week, offering a captivating celestial show of Earth’s faithful companion. Skywatchers can witness the initial event on Monday as the full moon comes a bit closer than usual, giving the illusion of being slightly larger and brighter in the night sky. Noah Petro, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter project scientist, sees the supermoon as a great reason to start observing the moon more regularly.
August’s supermoon marks the start of a series of lunar phenomena. September’s supermoon will align with a partial lunar eclipse. In October, the moon will make its closest approach of the year, with November wrapping up the supermoon lineup for the year.
A supermoon is more of a popular term than a scientific one, occurring when a full moon coincides with a particularly close orbit around Earth. This unique event typically takes place three to four times a year consecutively due to the moon’s ever-changing, oval-shaped path.
While a supermoon isn’t physically larger, it can appear that way, although the difference is usually minimal and challenging to spot without comparing it to other full moons. The upcoming quartet of supermoons will vary in distance from Earth, with the first one being 224,917 miles away. The following supermoons will progressively come closer, with September’s supermoon edging nearly 3,000 miles nearer, accompanied by a partial lunar eclipse visible in various regions.
October’s supermoon will be the nearest to Earth for the year at 222,055 miles, leading up to November’s supermoon at a distance of 224,853 miles. While subtle distinctions in size may be hard to notice, the increase in brightness during a supermoon can be up to 30% more vivid than usual. As lunar exploration intensifies, the moon’s allure grows stronger, with NASA’s Artemis program rekindling excitement for upcoming missions to the lunar surface.
Noah Petro expresses enthusiasm for the resurgence of interest in lunar exploration, making it an even more enjoyable experience to gaze up at the moon during these supermoon events.
