Look out for the full moon this week on 1 August because it is a supermoon.
The moon orbits Earth in a slightly elliptical orbit, meaning that sometimes it is a little closer to Earth and sometimes a little further away. A supermoon takes place when a full moon occurs near the Moon’s closest orbital point to Earth.
On 1 August, the moon will be 222,158 miles (357,530 km) away from Earth. It is the first supermoon of August, and the second of this year’s four supermoons, which will appear back to back. The first took place on 2-3 July, when the full moon was 224,895 miles (361,934 km) away. The third, and closest full moon, will be on 30 August at a distance of 222,043 miles (357,344km). Because it is the second full moon in the month, it is also called a blue moon – although there is some debate in astronomical circles about exactly what constitutes a blue moon. Closing out the run will be the full moon of 28-29 September at 224,658 miles (361,552km). Supermoons are typically about 14% larger in appearance than ordinary full moons and up to 30% brighter. Most people, however, will be hard-pressed to truly notice a difference.
