June 23rd Supermoon Worth Howling Over

If the weather holds out this weekend, we could get a view of the moon at its fullest. The “supermoon” will the closest and fullest full moon of the year.

The supermoon will be fullest in our area at 6:32 a.m. Sunday, June 23, but in the night’s sky it will appear full on the evening of Saturday, June 22, according to EathSky.org.

The perigee full moon gets its name because the term perigee describes the moon’s closest point to the earth during any month. 

The term supermoon has been used more often since 2011. (According to EarthSky an astrologer, not an astronomer coined the term.)  There was a supermoon during May 2013, but EarthSky says this month’s full moon will be even more super than normal, since it will be the closest the moon gets to Earth for the entire year.

The moon will be just 221,824 miles away from us, according to Astronomy magazine's website.

This month’s perigee moon is special because the crest of the moon’s full phase and perigee fall within an hour of each other, EarthSky says. With the change in distance the moon will appear 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter to our eyes than at its minimum size and brightness.

And, though the lunar pull will be at its maximum, there should be no cause for alarm, the changes will be imperceptible, EarthSky reports. Though, you are free to howl at the moon if it makes you happy.

Our next close encounter with a supermoon will be on Aug. 10, 2014, according to EarthSky.org.