Supermoon on 23 June 2013

2013 largest and closest "Super Moon" occured on June 23, 2013. This Super full moon is not only the closest and largest full moon of the year, it also presents the moon's closest encounter with Earth in a long time.

The moon will not be so close again until August 10, 2014. The Moon's distance varies each month between approximately 357,000 kilometers (222,000 mi) and 406,000 km (252,000 mi) due to its elliptical orbit around the Earth (distances given are center-to-center).
According to NASA, a full moon at perigee is up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than one at its furthest point, or apogee.

What is a Supermoon?

The word supermoon didn’t come from astronomy. Instead, it came from astrology. Astrologer Richard Nolle of the website astropro.com takes credit for coining the term supermoon. In 1979, he defined it as: "a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit (perigee). In short, Earth, moon and sun are all in a line, with moon in its nearest approach to Earth."

By this definition, according to Nolle: There are 4-6 supermoons a year on average.

That doesn’t sound very special, does it? In fact, the June 2013 full moon lines up much more closely with perigee – the moon’s closest point to Earth – than Nolle’s original definition. According to Guy Ottewell’s Astronomical Calendar 2013, the 2013 June full moon falls only 22 minutes after the moon reaches perigee, the moon’s closest point to Earth for this month and year. At perigee, the moon lies only 356,991 kilometers (221,824 miles) away. Two weeks later, on July 7, the moon will swing out to apogee – its farthest point for the month and year – at 406,490 kilometers (252,581 miles) distant.

Full moon falls on June 23, 2013 at 11:32 UTC (6:32 a.m. CDT in the U.S.). Thus, for many, the moon appears about as full in the June 22 evening sky as it does on the evening of June 23. This full moon is not only the closest and largest full moon of the year. It also presents the moon’s closest encounter with Earth for all of 2013. The moon will not be so close again until August, 2014. In other words, it’s not just a supermoon. It’s the closest supermoon of 2013.

A merge of two images: moon from Wikimedia Commons and Superman emblem came from layoutsparks.com

Day and night sides of Earth at instant of June 22-23 full moon

Day and night sides of Earth at instant of full moon (2013 June 23 at 11:32 Universal Time). In North America, the full moon is setting in the west at sunrise on June 23. From eastern Asia, it’s rising in the east at sunset. The full moon resides close to zenith – straight overhead – as seen from the Samoan islands in the central South Pacific Ocean. Image credit: Earth and Moon Viewer

View larger. | Astronomers say you can't really tell the difference in size between a supermoon and any other full moon. Check out this size comparison from our friend Alec Jones in the UK.

View larger. | Astronomers say it’s tough to notice the difference in size between a supermoon and any other full moon. But photographs show it. Check out this size comparison from our friend Alec Jones in the UK.

Infographic by Jan Diehm for The Huffington Post.

Supermoon on 23 June 2013 Photos from different places of the world.

“That’s how our SuperMoon looked like. In the Sultanate of Oman .. Soft n Delicate against the rugged n craggy mountains of this desert region.” Photo credit: Priya Kumar

“Super moon over Chester, SC last night.” Photo credit: Ann Thomas Grant

“2013 SuperMoon and the Basilica of Superga (Turin, Italy)” Photo credit: Stefano de Rosa

As close and big as it will get for the east coast of the US - 545am moon sets in coastal North Carolina. Photo credit: Greg Diesel.

Photo credit: Greg Diesel. He writes, “As close and big as it will get for the east coast of the US – 545am moon sets in coastal North Carolina.”

“Last night SUPERMOON JUNE 23 2013 rising behind the old abandoned pizza house at Oton Iloilo City Philippines.” Photo credit: Zhean Peter Nacionales

“Supermoon taken at Zaton Mali, Croatia 23:00 Saturday 22nd June” Photo credit: Kathy Andrew

“Good-bye Super Moon. Last night’s Full Moon sets in the West early this morning just before the Sunrise. Schoharie County, New York” Photo credit: Pat Quinn