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The phenomenon means the Moon - which is classified as a "perigee moon" by astronomers - appears bigger and brighter than usual because of its proximity to the earth.
The Moon takes a little over 27 days to orbit 360º around Earth, a little over 29 days to go from new Moon to new Moon again, but a total of 14 lunar cycles, or 411 days, to go from a full Perigee Moon to a full Perigee Moon again due to the motion of its elliptical orbit around the Sun.
Higher-than-normal tides and some coastal flooding also are frequent concerns during a perigee moon.
Incidentally, the moon is in its waxing gibbous phase at the moment and, on Sunday, moon fans (presumably such people do exist?) are in for a treat when a perigee moon will coincide with a full moon.
Tonight's moon will be a super perigee moon (a close approaching full moon).
In 2023, there will be a closer perigee moon, but it will coincide with the new phase instead of the full phase; it won't be visible from Earth.
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This gives a maximum perceived increase of 14% between apogee and perigee moons of the same phase.
It's what is commonly called a "supermoon", or technically a "perigee full moon" – a phenomenon that occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon being the closest it gets to the Earth on its orbit.
Also called a "perigee full moon," a supermoon occurs when a new or full moon coincides with lunar perigee -- the point in the moon's orbit when it is closest to Earth.
Astronomers call it the "perigee full moon" -- perigee being the term for the moon's closest point to earth in any given month.
Writing for the Conversation, he said: "The reason this perigee full moon is quite so 'super' is because perigee and full moons happen at almost exactly the same time, so the moon is at its closest possible when it's also at its fullest.
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