August’s supermoon is the first of four lunar spectacles
Aug 19, 2024, 12:59 PM | Updated: Aug 20, 2024, 7:26 am
The supermoon rises behind the historical site of Giza Pyramids, near Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Monday’s supermoon is the first of four this year.
During a supermoon, the full moon inches a little closer than usual to Earth. A supermoon isn’t bigger, but it can appear that way in the night sky, although scientists say the difference can be barely perceptible.
September’s supermoon 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 supermoon 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.
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