Supermoon

moon · space · celestial events

Closest approach. The Moon's orbit isn't a perfect circle, so sometimes it gets closer to Earth (called perigee) and sometimes it drifts farther away. When a full moon happens right at perigee, we call it a supermoon.

Looks bigger. A supermoon can appear about 14% larger and 30% brighter than a regular full moon because it's millions of miles closer to us. The difference is subtle but real, and photographers love capturing them.

Moon's weird orbit. The Moon doesn't orbit Earth in a perfect circle like a track. Its path is oval-shaped, which means the distance changes throughout the month, creating the perfect setup for supermoons.

Newer name. Supermoon is actually an astrological term, not a strict scientific one, so astronomers don't all agree on exactly when to call it a supermoon. But it's the fun name everyone uses.

Happens several times yearly. Because Earth and the Moon are always dancing through space together, supermoons occur a few times each year when the timing lines up just right.