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The moon rises behind the Independence Monument in Almaty, Kazakhstan, May 5, 2020. / CFP
The moon rises behind the Independence Monument in Almaty, Kazakhstan, May 5, 2020. / CFP
The last supermoon of 2020 will appear in the skies on Thursday morning, May 7, 2020, facing the sun (in Earth’s longitude) at 6:45 a.m. EDT (18:45 BJT), according to NASA. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Tuesday night to Friday morning.
The size of the supermoon is up to seven percent larger and 15 percent brighter than a typical full moon. According to Space.com, the full moon is about 31 arc minutes, or 0.52 degrees wide, in the night sky on average, and on May 7 it will be about 33 arc minutes (0.55 degrees) wide. A closed fist can give you the reference, as it is approximately 10 degrees wide at the length of your arm.
Binoculars and telescopes are not specifically required, but these tools can give you a clearer view and more details of the moon. Unlike watching the sun, there are no harmful effects of looking at the moon with our naked eyes.
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The supermoon, also known as Flower Moon, Corn Planting Moon, Milk Moon, is named by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979. It occurs when the moon’s orbit is closer (perigee) to Earth at the same time that it is full.
By 2020, the four full moons from February to May reach this 90 percent threshold, and the largest and brightest full moon falls on April 8.
While a supermoon is considered less serious and scientific than an eclipse, it represents an opportunity to encourage people to start looking at the moon. The next full supermoon won’t arrive until the end of April 2021.
