Community Corner

Look Skyward For The Perigee Moon On June 23

You won't need a telescope to get an eye full of moon on June 23, which is when the moon will be the closest to distance to the earth and this is what makes this "supermoon" a perigee full moon, according to earthsky.org.

The moon is expected to "turn full" at 6:32 a.m. June 23, but you'll still get a good eye full on June 22. According to Universe Today, "the moon will be 356,991 kilometers from the Earth."

A "supermoon"β€”a term coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979β€”occurs when the moon's orbit reaches its closest point to the earth. This moon will be extra super, though, because it will also be "gloriously full" at the same time, Garvin said.

A Wikipedia item says the term supermoon "is not widely accepted or used within the astronomy or scientific community, who prefer the term perigee-syzygy." But who wants to try pronouncing that?

The best time to photograph a supermoon is when the planet is low on the earth's horizon.

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"For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, low-hanging moons look unnaturally large when they beam through trees, buildings and other foreground objects," Garvin said.


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