A Supermoon is when a full Moon coincides with being at, or near, its closest to Earth. The Moon orbits Earth in an elliptical shape – not circular – so there are times when the Moon is closer to the Earth than others. When it is at its closest, it is known as being at its “perigee” point. This makes the moon appear 14% bigger, which is most easily observed when the moon is rising or setting on the horizon and you have objects to contrast it against on your horizon (buildings, trees, mountains etc..)
A lot of people often get confused by the descriptors like a “pink” or “worm” Supermoon, and might expect the Moon to turn a pink colour, or see a bunch of Earthworm Jims on the surface. Rather, these descriptors reference the season or month that the Supermoon is occurring in. In this case, “pink” is referring to the moss pink seen in Spring time, and “worm” supposedly when earthworms or beetle larvae emerge from the soil after Winter.
There are four Supermoons in 2023, with one starting on July 3rd. Then, August 1st, August 30th, September 28th. I hope you get out to see these super events – which are best experienced at moonrise or moonset when the Moon is closest to the horizon.
