On June 23rd 2013…the moon will be at its closest distance to Earth while in its full phase. It will appear 8 percent larger & 17 percent brighter than usual…an event widely known as a supermoon. Armchair astronomers can also catch the sky show virtually via a live high-definition webcast of the supermoon through SLOOH telescopes in the Canary Islands…off the coast of Africa…starting at 9 p.m. EDT or 6 p.m. PDT on June 23rd.
The monthly full moon always looks like a big disk…but because its orbit around the Earth is egg-shaped…there are times in the lunar cycle when the moon is at its shortest distance from Earth (called perigee) & times when the moon is at its farthest distance from Earth (called apogee). Likewise…because the size of the moon's orbit varies slightly…each month's perigee is not always the same distance from Earth.
Two years ago…the so-called supermoon was the closest it's been in two decades…only 356,575 kilometers from Earth.
For this 2013’s perigee…the moon will be a tad farther from us at 356,991 kilometers. That's a bit closer than the typical 364,000 kilometers distance…& is set to occur on June 23rd at 7:09 a.m. EDT. (The official full moon phase occurs at 7:32 a.m. EDT.)
Two years ago…the so-called supermoon was the closest it's been in two decades…only 356,575 kilometers from Earth.
For this 2013’s perigee…the moon will be a tad farther from us at 356,991 kilometers. That's a bit closer than the typical 364,000 kilometers distance…& is set to occur on June 23rd at 7:09 a.m. EDT. (The official full moon phase occurs at 7:32 a.m. EDT.)
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