There's An Epic 'Supermoon' Coming Our Way In November
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Weather-permitting, we'll be in for a beautiful treat in the sky on November 14, according to NASA.
A supermoon, which has become a popular term in the past few years, results from the moon's orbit being elliptical, or oval-shaped.
That said, here's what creates the effect of a supermoon, when the moon appears much bigger and brighter than normal:
The "perigee" is the point at which the moon is closest to the earth. About 30,000 miles closer than the other extreme, when the moon is further away, known as the "apogee."
The word "syzygy" is the scientific name for when the Earth, sun, and moon line up as the moon orbits Earth. Now, try to stay with us through this next part.
When perigee-syzygy of the Earth-moon-sun system occurs and the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun, we get a perigee moon, a.k.a., a supermoon!
The upcoming supermoon, on November 14, is not only the closest full moon of 2016 but also the closest full moon to date this century. The full moon won't come this close to Earth again until November 25, 2034.
A supermoon, or perigee full moon, can be as much as 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than an apogee full moon.
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