Supermoon treat! This celestial event is to occur for first time this year on this date. Here's how to watch
Representational image of a supermoon.
A supermoon is set to occur for the first time this year in the month of August and will illuminate the sky. On August 19, the supermoon will occur in which the Moon will appear a little larger and brighter, in comparison to a typical full moon.
This happens when the orbit of the Moon brings it closest to Earth, which is called perigee, coinciding with the full moon. The supermoon is expected to occur on August 19 at 2:26 PM ET, which will be 11:56 PM IST in India. This will be the year's first supermoon.
Four supermoons in 2024
NASA's former astrophysicist and eclipse expert Fred Espanak said that four supermoons will occur in 2024.
The supermoons are scheduled in August, September, October, and November. A supermoon has been defined by Espanak as a full moon which occurs Moon has made 90 percent of its closest approach to Earth.
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On October 17, the closest supermoon of 2024 will occur at 7:26 AM ET, or 4:56 PM IST. Generally, three to four supermoons happen every year.
The term "supermoon" has been used by researchers and scientists for around four decades, it received significant public attention in 2016 after astronomers spotted three consecutive supermoons.
Why does Supermoons occur?
The Moon has been orbiting the Earth in an elliptical path at a distance of nearly 382,900 km. Because of the gravitational influences from the Sun, Earth and other planets, the apogee and perigee distances of the Moon vary every month.
As per NASA's Noah Petro, the Moon's orbit has been irregular because of these gravitational forces.
When the Moon is at its closest point in its 27-day orbit, a supermoon is said to occur. The moon gets fully illuminated by the Sun and occurs approximately every 29.5 days.
Watch:China proposes information superhighway between Earth and Moon
This kind of alignment is rare and occurs only a few times a year when the orientation of the Moon's orbit changes.
When a supermoon occurs, the Moon is nearly 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than its usual size. The difference, however, cannot be discerned with the naked eye.
(With inputs from agencies)