The term super moon comes from astrology - nevertheless, an astronomical phenomenon is meant: the full moon is close to the earth. How you can observe the phenomenon.
- If the full moon comes particularly close to Earth on its orbit, it is a super moon
- The full moon on April 8 is the next super moon - as can be seen
- The super moon has real effects on Earth - which they are
The moon orbits the earth once every 27 days, 7 hours and 43 minutes. The distance between the earth and the moon fluctuates, because the earth satellite does not move in a circular path around the earth, but somewhat elliptically. With each orbit around the earth, the moon reaches a point called near-earth (perigee) and a point called distant from the earth (apogee) . If the moon comes close to the earth while it is in the full moon phase , this phenomenon is colloquially called "super moon " . This term is not used in science, but it is now quite widespread.
The term "super moon" was coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle. According to its definition, the full moon must approach the earth for at least 367,600 kilometers in order to be considered a super moon . The moon does this at least four times a year, the next time around April 8, 2020.
Super moon in April 2020: full moon reaches Earth
The moon will reach the full moon phase on April 8, 2020 at 4:35 a.m. The evening before - i.e. on the night of April 7th to 8th, 2020 - the moon reached the point close to earth. It then briefly comes close to the Earth up to 356,910 kilometers and is therefore a super moon.
During the #sunset with rain fronts, the #full moon (6:47 p.m.) in the east appears as a particularly large, near-earth #supermoon in the Jungfrau
In the west, Venus can be seen in the starry sky with many other stars⭐️
"Quiet night everyone"
03/09/2020 pic.twitter.com/dK0sNDbycO
You can also see that: The super moon appears somewhat larger in the night sky than the average moon. According to the US space agency Nasa, the super moon can appear up to 14 percent larger than the moon at its most distant point (apogee) . In addition, the super moon appears much brighter than a "normal" full moon . Although the surface of the moon does not become lighter, it appears larger from the Earth's perspective and the Earth reaches more moonlight. The super moon can shine up to 30 percent brighter than the moon away from the earth .
How to watch the super moon in April 2020
The moon rises in the east on April 7 at around 7 p.m. (the rising time may vary by a few minutes depending on the observation location) and rises in the sky to the south over the course of the night. It will officially become a full moon on April 8, 2020 at 4.35 a.m. - at this time it will be in the sky in the southwest. Shortly after 7 a.m. (here, too, the time can vary slightly depending on the observation location), the moon sets in the west.
The super moon is also always a popular photo motif. Seen here: the super moon from November 14, 2016 behind the Frankfurt skyline.
© picture alliance / dpa / Boris Roessler
If you want to observe the super moon , you should look for an observation position to the east after 7 p.m. The lower the moon is in the sky , the bigger it looks - behind it is an optical illusion (the "moon illusion"), the cause of which is not fully understood.
April 2020 super moon has an impact on Earth
A super moon is not only beautiful to look at, it actually has an impact on the earth: it triggers spring tides . This actually happens about every two weeks - whenever the earth, moon and sun are in a straight line. The spring tide occurs at full moon (earth between sun and moon) and new moon (moon between sun and earth). This effect is intensified if the moon is at the same time in the perigee , i.e. particularly close to the earth.
The moon will reach its distance from the earth in April 2020 on April 20. Then it is 406,460 kilometers from our planet. On average, the moon is at a distance of 382,900 kilometers from the earth.
Next super moon already in May 2020
The next super moon is not long in coming: the full moon in May 2020 is also one of the super moons with a distance of 366,824 kilometers. But no matter how close the moon is to Earth : it is always worth taking a quick look at it when it is in the sky. After all, the Earth would not be the same without the Moon - the Moon affects more than just the tides on Earth *.
Even beyond the super moon, you can observe some things in the starry sky in April. The planet "Venus" is particularly striking as the "evening star". The falling stream of the Lyrids also falls in April. If you own a telescope, you can try to find the comet "Atlas" near the constellations "Big Dipper" and "Giraffe". There is currently hope that comet "Atlas" will soon be seen with the naked eye.
By Tanja Banner
* fr.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital central editorial office.
Rubric list image: © picture alliance / Danny Lawson / PA Wire / dpa
