What is a Supermoon And Where Did It The Term Originate From?

What is A Supermoon?: After a rare celestial phenomenon called "Zero Shadow Day" occurred on May 21 in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, people will get to witness another phenomenon called the "Supermoon" on May 26 all around the world. On the day, the Moon will appear to be the closest to the Earth and larger in size than usual.

To make this event even more compelling, it also coincides with this year's only total lunar eclipse, which will be the first total lunar eclipse after January 2019. This has made people keen to know about the celestial phenomenon.

What is a Supermoon?

Generally speaking, a Supermoon is a phenomenon in which the full moon appears to be larger than a typical full moon due to being closer to Earth. The phenomenon takes place when the full moon and the moon's closest approach to Earth in its orbit coincide with each other. This means that when the moon is closest to Earth at the time of a full moon, a Supermoon occurs.

Although it is hard to differentiate with the naked eye, during this phenomenon, the moon appears a little closer and a little brighter than usual.

According to the eclipse expert and retired NASA astrophysicist, Fred Espanak, 2021 will witness a total of four supermoons in the months of March, April, May and June. The Farmer's Almanac however lists only two supermoons in April and May. This is due to the difference in the definition of how close should a moon be to Earth to be considered as a Supermoon.

The main measure used to determine if a full moon is a supermoon is its distance from the Earth, which is generally considered to be a distance closer than 224,000 miles (360,000 km).

Where did the term "Supermoon" come from?

Although the term "supermoon" has been all over headlines in recent years, it is not an official astronomical term. It has only been used in the past 40 years and did not even exist until it was coined by an astrologer named Richard Nolle in 1979.

The definition that most people go by today, was also given by Nolle, who defined it as a new moon or a full moon that occurs with the Moon near its closest approach (within 90%) to Earth in its orbit.

The closest supermoon of the year will be seen on May 26 and is often referred to as a "Flower Moon". However, the phenomenon has different nicknames in different cultures, like "Buck Moon", "Strawberry Moon" and many more.