(Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls via Getty Images)
(Image credit: Ye Aung Thu/AFP/Getty Images)
Did you see the supermoon on Sunday evening? Even if you aren’t a stargazer, you might have noticed that the moon looked unusually big and bright.
Supermoons occur when the moon’s orbit takes it to its closest point to Earth - also known as a perigee moon - at the same time as a full moon. The combination of the two factors gives the orb an oversized appearance and an extra-luminous shine in the night sky.
However, Royal Greenwich Observatory astronomer Tom Kerss told Sky News that, although the moon is closer to the earth than usual, the difference is imperceptible to the human eye.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
“You might think the moon looks unusually large, but this is an illusion created in the mind when it appears close to the horizon.”
As the moon rose and set across Sunday night and Monday morning, it could be seen across the world in various hues of white, pink, orange and red.
Sunday night’s supermoon was the last one of 2017, but the phenomenon is set to occur twice more in January. Supermoons will be visible on 1 January and 31 January, in what Nasa is dubbing a “supermoon trilogy,” the BBC reports.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
