The Brightest Supermoon of 2019 will be in the sky This Week
We started the year with the very impressive ‘Super Blood Moon’ gracing our skies on January 21, but the Moon is set to give us another stargazing treated this time, it’s looking like we might actually get a glimpse!
February presents the biggest full moon supermoon of 2019, the moon will look plenty full to the eye on both February 18 and February 19 as it parades across the nighttime sky. It reaches the crest of its full phase on February 19 for much of the world and the unusual warm dry weather means it we will get an eye full.
What’s a supermoon? It’s a term for what astronomers call a perigean full moon. In other words, it’s a full moon near perigee, or closest to Earth for this month. This February 2019 the full moon reaches its exact full phase closer to the time of perigee than any other full moon this year. Hence the year’s closest supermoon.
Will you be able to discern with your eye that this full moon is larger than an ordinary full moon? Experienced observers say they can do it, but – for most of us – the difference is too small for the eye to notice.
So tomorrow night, instead of trudging home with an average boring moon in the sky, look up and you will see a thing of beauty…. if the clouds decide to stay away.
