There Will Be A 'Pink Supermoon' Next Week
With people all over the globe in lockdown, the need for accessible entertainment has never been greater.
Thankfully next week – if you’ve got a window/garden/balcony – you might be able to spend some time beholding the beauty of the ‘pink supermoon’.
But don’t let the name fool you, ’cause the moon won’t really be pink (sorry to disappoint). The name was actually chosen after a North American wildflower called ‘phlox subulata’, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Explaining what exactly a supermoon is, Tania de Sales Marques, an astronomer with the Royal Observatory, said it’s all about the ‘perigee’ – which is the point in a moon’s orbit when it’s nearest to Earth.
Speaking to Newsweek, she said: “What is commonly called a supermoon happens when the moon comes closest to us, at perigee, and is either at a full moon or new moon phase.
“So a full moon is also a supermoon when the full phase coincides with perigee.
“A full moon coinciding with perigee is an annual event, but since a supermoon is not so strictly defined, the threshold for what’s considered a supermoon may vary to also include full moons that come close to perigee. This more relaxed definition can give us more than one supermoon per year.”
The best time to witness the spectacle will be at 2.35am on 8 April in the UK – or at 10.35pm EST on 7 April, if that’s your preferred time zone.
Offering advice on how best to make the most of it, de Sales Marques said: “A full moon at perigee is just 7 percent larger than a regular full moon, so the difference in size is not discernible, however it does appear slightly brighter than usual.
“The best thing to do is to wait until after the sun has set and the sky is dark, find an unobstructed view of the sky, and weather permitting you should get to see a slightly brighter than usual full moon.
“And if you’re thinking of taking a picture to mark the occasion, just be aware that you’ll need proper equipment, such as a camera with a long telephoto lens, as the moon captured on a phone will look more like a blob.”
