A “Supermoon” Will Rise 23 June 2013

The moon will swing closer to Earth than usual on 23 June 2013, giving us a “supermoon,” the biggest and brightest full moon of the year.

The moon will come within 222,000 miles (360,000 kilometers) of Earth and turn full around 7:30 a.m. EDT (11:30 GMT), making it the best time to view.

Technically known as a perigee moon, the event occurs when a full moon lines up with the Earth and the sun at a specific point in its orbit, called the lunar perigee.

Since the moon will be closer to us, it will appear up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than usual. It is said that skywatchers can not notice the difference with the naked eye. However, people look up anyway and appreciate the sky.

This also presents the moon’s closest encounter with Earth for all of 2013. The next supermoon will appear 10 August 2014.

The term “supermoon” is not astronomical, but originated in modern astrology.