The Supermoon: What It Is, Why It Is (And Maybe A New Complication, Why Not?)

Tonight we’ll be treated to the astronomical phenomenon known as a “supermoon” – this is the term for the occasion in the moon’s orbit around the Earth, when a full moon, and the moon’s closest position to the Earth (its perigee, in technical terms) coincide.  The supermoon phenomenon is a real thing – like any orbit, the moon’s orbit around the Earth is an ellipse, and has a nearest point to the Earth (perigee) and furthest point from the Earth (apogee).  When perigee and a full moon happen at the same time, the moon can seem both bigger and brighter.

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