Spectacular Super Moon to light up skies on April 7th and 8th
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A spectacular Super Moon is set to appear in the night skies on April 7th and 8th. The best time to see it is anywhere in the world will be after sunset, when the moon rises over the eastern horizon, VOA reports. Those without an east-facing view should be able to see an equally spectacular moonset on April 8.
A super moon is a moon that has come closest to the earth’s orbit; it appears up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than a typical full moon. “On Tuesday, April 7 at 2:08 p.m. EDT (1808 GMT), the moon will arrive at its closest point to Earth in 2020: a distance of 356,907 kilometers away,” Space.com reports. “And 8 hours and 35 minutes later, the moon will officially turn full.”
An April super moon is called a “Super Pink Moon” in the United States: VOA explains the moon was given this name by Native Americans because it appears when pink wildflowers are in bloom. According to experts there will be no need to wait for 100% illumination as the moon will be so bright it will be hard to look straight at it for more than a few seconds.
April’s super moon is the second of three this year; the first was on March 9 and the third will be on May 7.
There are usually 12 full moons a year, but 2020 will also have a rare 13th full moon, known as a “blue moon.” A blue moon is the appearance of a second full moon in a single month; this phenomenon only takes place once every 2½ or three years. The blue moon will appear on October 31st.
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