The full Moon will be a supermoon

August 16, 2024 - August is set to see the first of four consecutive supermoons -- a bigger and brighter full moon occurring during its closest approach to Earth.

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The term “supermoon” was first coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 as “either a new or full moon that occurs when the Moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth”, according to NASA. The scientific term for the phenomenon is “perigee Moon.”

“The supermoon is the closest, largest full moon of the calendar year. It’s a real treat to see the Moon uniquely. Because the Moon’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle, it gets farther away over the year when it’s farthest away, it’s known as “apogee,” and when it’s closest, it’s known as “perigee,’ so over the weekend we’re going to have a perigee full moon, the closest full Moon of the year,” said Noah Petro, project scientist for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

“Because it’s close, it’s going to appear about 14% larger, about 30% brighter than the smallest full moon of the year,” Petrov added.

A supermoon isn’t larger but can appear that way, although the difference can barely be perceptible.

“Unless you have looked at a lot of full moons or compare them in images, it is hard to notice the difference, but people should try,” said Petro.