A Supermoon happens when a Full Moon or New Moon coincides with the Moon's closest approach to Earth; also called perigee. A Super Full Moon looks around 12% to 14% bigger than its counterpart, the Micromoon. The Supermoon on November 14, 2016, was the closest a Full Moon had been to Earth since January 26, 1948. The next time a Full Moon is even closer to Earth will be on November 25, 2034 (dates based onUTC time).
- 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.
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 of the Moon's elliptical orbit, 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. 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’. Source:www. timeanddate.com
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