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Credit & Copyright: Soumyadeep Mukherjee
Explanation:
What is so micro about tonight's blue micromoon?
Just after sunset, a
full moon will appear
slightly smaller and dimmer than usual.
The reason is that the
Moon's fully illuminated phase
occurs within a short time of
apogee -
when the Moon
is farthest from
the Earth in its
elliptical orbit.
In fact, tonight's micromoon will be the
farthest, smallest, and dimmest Moon this year.
But tonight's micromoon is notable for yet another reason: it is also a
blue moon, meaning that it is the second
full moon in the same month
(moon-th).
Pictured here,
a supermoon --
when the full moon appears near its largest -- is compared to a micromoon as photographed from
Kolkata,
India
in May and December of 2021.
Although the next micromoon occurs next month, and the
next blue moon at the end of 2028, the next blue micromoon will not occur
until 2053.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: full moon
Publications with words: full moon
See also: