Technology
Forget the giant Snow Moon – TWO even bigger Super Moons are about to appear
TWO awe-inspiring Super Moon events are on the way before summer.
We’ve got all the details on how to see the next Super Moon, what causes the phenomenon, and the key dates you need to know.
The Supermoon is always an awe-inspiring sight for stargazers[/caption]
At the end of February, we were amazed by the huge size of the Full Snow Moon.
But if you thought that was good, you’ll be even more impressed by the two Super Moons of 2021.
What is a Super Moon?
Supermoons occur when a full Moon is at or near its closest point to Earth.
Full Moons occur when the Moon is on the opposite side of Earth to the Sun.
This results in the lunar surface being fully illuminated.
A Supermoon happens when a full Moon reaches the perigee, which is the point in the orbit of the Moon when it’s closest to the Earth.
The opposite of the perigee is the apogee and when the Moon reaches this point it will look much smaller than usual.
Supermoons are said to appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual.
It wasn’t until 1979 that Richard Nolle first defined the Supermoon, which is now a widely-used term.
The apparent size of the Moon during a Super Moon (left) versus a regular Moon (right)[/caption]
The astrologer explained that the phenomenon is “a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90 per cent of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit”.
Based on Nolle’s theory, the moon would have to be around 226,000 miles away from the Earth to be considered “super”.
Because of its relatively close proximity to the Earth, the celestial body’s surface appears a lot bigger when a Supermoon occurs.
This means they look very big and bright in the sky and it can be a great time for photographers to capture amazing lunar images.
When is the next Super Moon?
There are two official Super Moons in 2021.
The first is on Tuesday, April 27, and the second is on Wednesday, May 26.
Here’s a list of this year’s Full Moons, of which two are “Super”:
- January 28 – Wolf Moon
- February 27 – Snow Moon
- March 28 – Worm Moon
- April 27 – Pink Moon (SUPER)
- May 26 – Flower Moon (SUPER)
- June 24 – Strawberry Moon
- July 24 – Buck Moon
- August 22 – Sturgeon Moon
- September 21 – Corn Moon / Harvest Moon
- October 20 – Hunter’s Moon
- November 19 – Beaver Moon
- December 19 – Cold Moon
Will you be looking out for the next Super Moon? Let us know in the comments!
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