4 full giant moons in a row in 2023! The first on July 2-3

4 full supermoons in a row in 2023

According to an astrophysicist Fred Espenak He previously worked at the Goddard Space Flight Center and is best known for his work on the Eclipse predictions The full moon on the night of July 2 and 3, 2023, USA, is the first in a series of four full supermoons in a row.

Watch on or around these dates:

July 2-3 overnight
August 1 am or pm
Aug 30-31 Overnight
Sep 28-29 Overnight

Note: The above dates are most appropriate for the Americas, Europe and Africa. Elsewhere in the world – depending on where you live – some giant events might fall on slightly different dates. Watch out for the full moon around All these dates!

What are superheroes?

A full moon occurs when the Moon (in its monthly orbit) is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. A full supermoon occurs when the full moon occurs at – or near – the time when the moon is closest to us in its elliptical orbit. Fred Espenak Supermoon full table Provides dates and distances for the full supermoons in 2023. Compare these moon distances to the moon’s average distance of 238,900 miles (384.472 km).

July 2-3: 224,895 miles (361,934 km)
August 1: 222,158 miles (357,530 km)
August 30-31: 222,043 miles (357,344 km)
September 28-29: 224,658 miles (361,552 km)

Incidentally, the year 2024 will see four full giant pyramids in a row as well. They are August 19th, September 18th, October 17th, and November 15th.

At a full moon, the sun, earth, and moon line up in space, in that order, with the earth in the middle. The day side of the Moon – its fully lit hemisphere – faces us directly and that is why the Moon appears full. Starting on the night of July 2nd and 3rd, 2023, we will have 4 complete giant pyramids in a row. Read about the full supermoons below. Graph via John Jardine Goss/Earthsky.

Three full moons to compare the sizes of a supermoon, a typical moon, and a micromoon. — View in EarthSky community photos. | Mandy Daniels of Derbyshire, UK made this composite image that compares the apparent sizes of a full supermoon, average full moon, and micromoon. Thank you Mandy!

What are the perfect superheroes?

It was astrologer Richard Knoll who coined the term supermoon in 1979. He defined a supermoon as:

A new moon or full moon occurs with the moon at or near (within 90%) of its closest approach to the earth in a given orbit.

However, different websites calculate supermoons differently. EarthSky uses the dates for the supermoon as determined by astronomer Fred Espenak. In addition, his method for calculating supermoons takes into account changes in the moon’s orbit during each lunar cycle.

Of course, superheroes attract a lot of attention and are very popular.

But… do they look like superheroes Brighter than normal full moons? Yes! noticeable amount. This is because the supermoon exceeds the size of the average-size moon disk by up to 8% and the brightness of the average full-size moon by about 16%. And then, it is It exceeds the size of the small disk of the Moon (after a year and thus the smallest full moon) reaches 14% and the brightness of the young moon is about 30%. So, head out on the night of the super-full moon. Even if you’re a casual moon-watcher, there’s a chance you’ll notice that the supermoon is exceptionally bright!

By the way, before the term Supermoon Caught, we in astronomy call these moons Full moons at perihelionor New moons in the ocean. No doubt about it, Supermoon more attractive.

Exceptionally close to the giant full moon in August 2023

The supermoon on August 30-31, 2023 will be the closest full supermoon this year when it will be 222,043 miles (357,344 km) from Earth. It is also the monthly blue moon. In astronomy, a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. By the way, the next monthly blue moon won’t be until May 31, 2026. And the next time we’ll have a supermoon closer is November 5, 2025, when the moon will be located 221,817 miles (356,980 km) from Earth.

Composite of 3 bright full moons. — View in EarthSky community photos. | John Miriam Augustine, Florida captured the supermoon on July 13, 2022 and wrote: “A small three-shot interval before working to capture a full Pac Moon at perihelion over northeast Florida this morning.” Thank you John! The supermoon came in July 2022 at a distance of 222,089 miles (357,418 km) from Earth. The supermoon from August 30-31 this year will be 46 miles (74 km) closer to Earth.

Earth’s oceans feel the super pyramid

On a new or full moon, the sun, earth, and moon are aligned in space. Gravity on Earth’s oceans is always at its peak at such times. These are the spring tides, the highest (and lowest) tides that come twice each month (as opposed to low tides, when the difference between tides is lowest, which occurs around the first and last quarter of the moon).

The new or full moon at perigee highlights the spring tide. It creates what some call it Tidal Kingor exceptionally high tides, which are noted by those who live along the coasts.

Two graphs: the sun, moon, and earth, and their positions during the new moon and full moon. — About 3 or 4 times a year, or more often, the new or full moon coincides with the moon’s closest point to Earth, or perigee. There is usually little difference—usually a few inches (or centimeters)—between “spring ocean tides” and normal tidal ranges. But at these times, if a storm hits along the coast, flooding can occur. cross image NOAA.

Therefore, people who live along ocean coasts may notice the variation in high and low tides for the coming months, around the dates of the full moon.

One way or another, supermoons make an impact, even if they are just enjoying the sight of a bright moon!

Bottom line: We’ll have 4 supermoons in a row in 2023. The first is overnight on July 2nd and 3rd. The closest — also a blue moon — will be August 30-31.

via AstroPixels: Moon’s perigee and aphelion: 2001 to 2100 And AstroPixels: Moon phases: 2001 to 2100

Read more: Four keys to understanding the phases of the moon

Marcy Curran

View articles

About the author:

Marcy Curran has enjoyed stargazing since she was a little girl taking family camping trips under the dark Wyoming skies. She bought her first telescope just in time to see Halley’s comet in 1985. Her passion for astronomy eventually led her to become a co-founder of a local astronomical society. Marcy is still active in her astronomy club, including serving as editor of a monthly newsletter. She also contributes a monthly article to her local newspaper focusing on the stars, planets, and objects currently visible in the night sky. Marcy has taught astronomy at her local community college for over 20 years.