On Monday, earthlings got a glimpse of the biggest supermoon since 1948. Skygazers took to high-rise buildings, observatories and beaches to get a glimpse of the closest “supermoon” to Earth and snap dramatic pictures. The phenomenon happens when the moon is full at the same time as, or very near, perigee ” its closest point to Earth on an elliptical, monthly orbit. It was the closest to Earth since 1948 at a distance of 356,509 kilometres, creating what NASA described as “an extra-supermoon”.
Astronomically speaking there is no official term called ‘supermoon’. It was coined by an astrologer, Richard Nolle, in 1979. The technical term for a supermoon is, ‘perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system’. ‘Syzygy’ refers to the straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies.
Supermoons during winter in the northern hemisphere tend to look larger than those that occur during the rest of the year. That is because Earth is closer to the sun. This year has already seen four supermoons and there will be another one on December 14, but that will not be as big a spectacle as the one on November 14. The next supermoon like this one will be in 2034, says Nasa.
The supermoon’s hugeness is attributed partially to the “moon illusion”, a phenomenon which affects perception of the moon’s size. Close to the horizon, the moon can appear up to 300 percent larger than when it’s high in the sky. On Nov 14, both the psychological effect of the moon illusion, and the physical effect of the supermoon were in play. Here are some of the best photos from across the globe…
