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