CAPE CANAVERAL: The first of four super moons this year rises next week, providing views of Earth’s constant companion.
Stargazers can catch the first act Monday as the full moon inches a little closer than usual, making it appear slightly bigger and brighter in the night sky.
“I like to think of the super moon as a good excuse to start looking at the moon more regularly,” said Noah Petro, project scientist for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
August’s super moon kicks off a string of lunar spectacles. September’s super moon will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. October’s will be the year’s closest approach, and November’s will round out the year.
More a popular term than a scientific one, a super moon occurs when a full lunar phase syncs up with an especially close swing around Earth.
This usually happens only three or four times a year and consecutively, given the moon’s constantly shifting, oval-shaped orbit.
A super moon obviously isn’t bigger, but it can appear that way, although scientists say the difference can be barely 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,” Petro said in an email.
There’s a quartet of super moons this year.
The first will be 224,917 miles (361,970 kilometers) away. The next will be nearly 3,000 miles (4,484 kilometers) closer the night of September 17 into the following morning.
A partial lunar eclipse will also unfold that night, visible in much of the Americas, Africa and Europe as the Earth’s shadow falls on the moon, resembling a small bite.
October’s super moon will be the year’s closest at 222,055 miles (357,364 kilometers) from Earth, followed by November’s super moon at a distance of 224,853 miles (361,867 kilometers
Scientists point out that only the keenest observers can discern the subtle differences. It’s easier to detect the change in brightness — a super moon can be 30% brighter than average.
With the U.S. and other countries ramping up lunar exploration with landers and eventually astronauts, the moon beckons brighter than ever.
As project scientist for the first team of moonwalkers coming up under Apollo’s follow-on program, Artemis, Petro is thrilled by the renewed lunar interest. “It certainly makes it more fun to stare at,” Petro said.
