A so-called supermoon is when the Moon is at its closest distance to the Earth. In the event of a supermoon, the moon will be about 13% larger than a normal moon and there will also be higher tides on this day.
The moon will pass perigee at 5.06pm on the evening of 13 July, at a distance of 357,400km from the Earth.
The Moon’s orbit around the Earth is elliptical, with a distance from the Earth of about 350,000 km at its closest point and more than 400,000 km at its farthest point, with an average distance of 380,000 km.
When viewed from the Earth, the Moon is a “big moon” and a “small moon”, with a difference of about one-eighth of the apparent diameter between the two. A ‘supermoon’ occurs when the Moon passes around perigee and reaches full moon status.
The difference in diameter between the largest full moon and the smallest full moon is about 13%, although it is difficult to detect from the naked eye if you don’t compare them together.
If you like astronomy and photography, you’ll want to have your equipment ready on the night of July 13.
