Professor Sara Russell, leader of the Planetary Materials Group at the NHM, said that this could be down to its visual proximity to objects like trees and buildings, which allows them to be compared directly.

The supermoon also appears even larger when it rises and sets on the horizon, but this is down to something call the “moon illusion”.Įverything you thought you knew about how to fix the climate is probably wrong 09 October, 2022 Deaths in England and Wales spiked by 3,271 during summer heatwaves 07 October, 2022 When to see the Draconid meteor shower and the best way to view it from the UK 07 October, 2022 This is because as the Moon moves closer, more of the Sun’s rays reflecting off the moon’s surface are visible from Earth. If the moon becomes full when it is reaching or approaching its closest point to the planet, it is considered a supermoon.Īccording to the Natural History Museum (NHM), supermoons appear so bright because they “cast about 30 per cent more light on the plant than when the moon is at its dimmest.” This means there can be a difference of up to 30,000 miles in its distance from our planet, with the closest point called the perigee, and the furthest the apogee. The August full moon will appear bigger and brighter in the sky than usual, because it’s an example of a phenomenon known as a supermoon – and it’s the final time you’ll be able to see one in 2022.Ī supermoon occurs because the moon moves nearer and further away from the Earth at different points during its elliptic orbit. The August full moon will appear to be bigger and brighter than usual (Photo: AP) Why is a supermoon so big and bright?

What is the moon phase tonight