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The first supermoon of this year's three will occur today, Tuesday, June 14. The full moon will coincide with the Moon's closest approach to Earth, causing the moon to appear slightly larger and brighter than usual.
Native American tribes called this Strawberry Full Moon because it coincided with the peak season for ripening and harvesting the popular fruit.
A second supermoon will follow on July 13, while the third and last for this year will occur on August 12 and will actually almost coincide with the culmination of the Perseids' diabolical peak.
What is a supermoon
As the elliptical orbit of the Moon around the Earth causes the distance between bodies to constantly increase, a supermoon occurs when the full Moon coincides with a very close approach of the Moon. The Earth-Moon distance ranges from 406,712 km (apogee) to 356,445 km (perigee), with an average distance of about 384,500 km.
When the full moon occurs close to the perigee, it is considered that there is a supermoon, super-moon or supermoon, terms that are not astronomical. The term, according to the US space agency (NASA), was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979.
A full moon at the perigee, being closer to us, appears up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than a full moon at the apogee. Also a supermoon is about 8% larger and 15% brighter compared to an average full moon.
Source: gazzetta.gr
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