Supermoon

In Context

• The Strawberry Supermoon was seen worldwide in different time zones .
  • The term “supermoon” was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979. Some Native American tribes called this full moon the “Strawberry Moon” because it signalled a time for gathering ripening strawberries and other fruits.

What is a Supermoon?

• It occurs when a full moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point known as perigee. 
• During every 27-day orbit around Earth, the Moon reaches both its perigee, about 226,000 miles from Earth, and its farthest point, or apogee, about 251,000 miles from Earth.
•  ‘Supermoon’ isn’t an official astronomical term, but typically it’s used to describe a full Moon that comes within at least 90 percent of perigee.
• Supermoons only happen three to four times a year, and always appear consecutively. Throughout most of Earth’s orbit around the sun, perigee and the full moon do not overlap.

Source:IE