Don’t miss the super June Moon
May 17, 2022
A supermoon rises over Brisbane, Queensland.
Image credit: AAP Image/Dan Peled
The full Moon in June will be a supermoon. Set your sights on the night sky on Tuesday 14 June for a spectacular spectacle.
What is a supermoon?
A supermoon occurs when a full Moon coincides with its closest approach to Earth – its perigee.
Australian Astronomical Observatory astronomer Fred Watson says a supermoon is defined by a full moon occurring at the nearest point to the Earth on the moon’s orbit.
Due to this proximity, supermoons appear seven per cent larger and 16 per cent brighter than the average full moon.
There can be three or four supermoons each year.
The ‘Moon illusion’
The increased size and brightness of supermoons generally go unnoticed and are often overshadowed by what’s known as the ‘Moon illusion’ – an optical illusion when full moons appear super large and bright when close to the horizon and surrounded by trees and buildings.
