JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: WHAT

IS A SUPER MOON?

THE MOON ORBITS THE EARTH NOT

IN A PERFECT CIRCE BUT IN AN

ELLIPSE.

SOMETIMES IT'S CLOSER TO THE

EARTH THAN AT OTHER TIMES.

WHEN IT IS AT ITS FARTHEST

POINT IN ITS ORBIT THAT'S

CALLED APOGEE.

WHEN IT'S AT ITS CLOSEST POINT

THAT'S CALLED PERIGEE.

WHEN WE HAVE A FULL MOON AND

THE MOON IS AT PERIGEE, WE GET

A SUPER MOON.

WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THE MOON

APPEARS ABOUT 14 PERCENT

LARGER THAN USUAL AND ABOUT 30

PERCENT BRIGHTER.

A SUPER MOON ALSO MEANS

STRONGER TIDES IN THE OCEANS

ON EARTH.

SOMETIMES, WE GET A LUNAR

ECLIPSE AT THE SAME TIME AS A

SUPER MOON.

A LUNAR ECLIPSE HAPPENS WHEN

THE EARTH GETS BETWEEN THE SUN

AND THE MOON AND THE EARTH

CASTS A SHADOW ACROSS THE FACE

OF THE MOON.

SUPER MOONS HAPPEN THREE OR

FOUR TIMES A YEAR BUT A SUPER

MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE IS PRETTY

RARE.

THE NEXT SUPER MOON LUNAR

ECLIPSE WON'T HAPPEN UNTIL

2033.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE

MOON, CHECK OUT THE SCIENCE

TREK WEBSITE.

YOU'LL FIND IT AT

IDAHOPTV.ORG/SCIENCE TREK