What is a Supermoon?

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Relevance: Kolkatans may witness ‘supermoon’ today if monsoon sky permits - The Hindu

A supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time the Moon is full. 

The Moon orbits Earth in an ellipse, an oval that brings it closer to and farther from Earth as it goes around.

The farthest point in this ellipse is called the apogee and is about 253,000 miles (405,500 kilometers) from Earth on average.

Its closest point is the perigee, which is an average distance of about 226,000 miles (363,300 kilometers) from Earth.

When a full moon appears at perigee it is slightly brighter and larger than a regular full moon – and that's where we get a "supermoon.

A “supermoon” occurs when a full moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point known as perigee. During every 27-day orbit around Earth, the Moon reaches both its perigee, about 226,000 miles (363,300 km) from Earth, and its farthest point, or apogee, about 251,000 miles (405,500 km) from Earth. ‘Supermoon’ isn’t an official astronomical term, but typically it’s used to describe a full Moon that comes within at least 90 percent of perigee.

Supermoons only happen three to four times a year, and always appear consecutively. Throughout most of Earth's orbit around the sun, perigee and the full moon do not overlap.

It might be hard to detect a supermoon visually, but it does have an effect on Earth. Because the Moon is in its closest approach to Earth, it can cause higher tides than usual.

NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA, NASA - 2

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