Decryptions“Pink Super Moon”? The full moon on July 13 coincides with the passage of our neighbor closest to the Earth, making it a little more imposing in the sky. Explanations.
On the occasion of a new phenomenon this Wednesday, July 13, we are republishing this article originally published on November 14, 2016.
If the cloud cover allows it, it will be possible to observe, on the night of July 13 to 14, a full moon a little bigger than usual. It is indeed one of the largest full moons observable since… 1948.
Because the orbit that the Moon describes around the Earth is not a perfect circle, but rather a slightly elongated ellipse. At the point of the orbit closest to the Earth, what is called the perigee, our neighbor will pass tonight only 356,509 kilometers from the Earth’s surface (regarding 400 km less than the average “supermoon”) . The Moon’s apparent disc will then be 14% larger and 30% brighter than when it is at apogee, the furthest point in the lunar orbit.