Good Question: Why Is The Supermoon So Big?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If you look to the skies Monday night, there's a chance you'll see something that hasn't happened since 1948 – a large supermoon. It's 7 percent bigger and 14 percent brighter than the average full moon.
So, Andrew from Excelsior asks: Why is the supermoon so big? Good Question.
A supermoon is the term used for a full moon that happens when the moon is closer to the Earth than usual.
"We have about three to four supermoons a year and some are more super than others, but this is the most super of them all because it is physically the closest moon," says Mike Lynch, WCCO Radio meteorologist and amateur stargazer.
He refers to Monday's supermoon as a "super-duper" moon. The moon is not physically any larger, but it appears bigger because it's closer to the Earth. The moon's orbit around the Earth is elliptical, which means the distance from Earth varies 25,000 miles in the course of its orbit. The closest point is called the perigee and furthest point is called the apogee.
During Monday's supermoon, the full moon will come within two hours, or 17 miles, of perigee. Not only will it have an increased impact on the tides, it will appear larger than we're used to seeing it.
"It's noticeably bigger in the sky, there's no question about it," says Lynch
The moon always looks larger when its rises and sets. That's an optical illusion because our eyes compare it with objects along the horizon.
On Monday, there were some Minnesotans who could see the supermoon due to cloud cover.
"Well, we're still waiting for breaks in the clouds," says Lynch. "The old weatherman talked about clearing tonight but it's taking it's sweet time."
The next time a supermoon will appear this large will be in 2034.
