The last supermoon of the year is here, and it’s going to be a ‘strawberry’ one. Set your sights skyward this Thursday to catch a glimpse, as the moon makes its closest approach to Earth.
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Though it’s not actually pink or red hued in colour, it’s referred to as the strawberry supermoon in North America due to the time of year it appears. According to folklore, it was named after the ‘June bearing’ fruit such as strawberries which grow at the same time the supermoon appears.
What is a supermoon?
Supermoons are fairly common and occur when a full moon reaches its closest point to Earth (perigee) and is directly opposite the sun (syzgy). This makes it slightly larger than normal, classifying it as a supermoon. However, there are astronomers who prefer to call this type of event a perigee-syzygy moon.
Many astronomers also have different definitions of what a supermoon is, as some say it is anything that is less than 360,000 km from Earth.
While the differences between a supermoon and a normal moon can be hard to spot, any amateur astronomer measuring tonight’s moon throughout the evening will see it become gradually bigger as it gets higher in the sky.
When can I see it?
For any stargazers who want to see it, the strawberry moon will appear in the sky on June 24 in the early morning and will be visible for three days.
If you happen to miss this full moon, then mark July 5 in your calendars for the next one! The Buck Moon (or Thunder Moon) occurs every July and this year it will also be a partial penumbral lunar eclipse. This means that only part of the Earth’s penumbra will cover the Moon’s surface.
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