The fourth and final Supermoon of 2023 is to rise over Ireland tonight. Those who find themselves gazing at the stars over the next two Irish night skies will witness a rare sight, a full moon but enhanced, the Harvest Moon.
Astronomy Ireland has urged all residents to emerge from their houses this evening and next to witness the fourth and final supermoon that will happen this year.
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Is September's full moon a supermoon?
Yes, this month's full moon is a supermoon.
The closing supermoon of 2023, The Harvest Moon, rises today, Friday, September 29th, with a slightly lesser spectacle visible on Saturday.
In a statement, Astronomy Ireland said this week's moon will be "30% brighter than at other times".
The Magazine's founder and editor David Moore detailed the best time to witness the moon.
“The best time to watch is at moonrise, which is the same time the sun sets, when a further effect, called ‘the moon illusion’ kicks in, which can make the moon ‘look’ even bigger to the human eye/brain combination,”
The best time to see the moon is at on Friday from 7:18pm in Ireland. On Saturday, the moon rises at 7:31pm.
What is a Supermoon?
The term "supermoon" was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 as either a new or full Moon that occurs when the Moon is within 90% of perigee, its closest approach to Earth.
According to NASA a supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time the Moon is full.
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What is so special about this type of moon?
The moon orbits Earth in an oval-like motion, referred to as an ellipse. Meaning throughout the year, there are very few points where the moon orbits positions the moon as close as possible to the earth.
When a full moon appears at the closest point to the earth it is called the perigee. The average position of the moon from Earth, when this occurs, is around 226,000 miles (363,300 kilometers).
Due to the short distance between the earth and the moon when this orbit happens, and it so happens that it is also a full moon, the moon appears more brighter and larger than a regular full moon.
Hence why it is called a supermoon.
When were the other three Supermoons?
The other three supermoons in 2023, were witnessed on the following dates:
- July 2nd - Buck Moon
- August 1 – Sturgeon Moon
- August 30 – Blue Moon
- September 29 – Harvest Moon
How rare is it to see a supermoon?
They are quite a rare sight. You see an ordinary full moon occurs once in each Lunar cycle, the cycle lasting 29.5 days. The thing is, however, not every Full Moon is a Supermoon.
On average there are only between two and four supermoons each Calendar year.
Astronomers have said there will be four Supermoons each year up until 2025.
When is the next Supermoon?
Those who miss tonight's night sky spectacle will have to wait quite a time to witness one again. The next supermoon will take place a year from now and will also be a Harvest Moon.
The next Supermoon expected to rise in the skies worldwide will be on September 14th, 2024.
The next Harvest moon will be the first of two supermoons that will rise next year, with the second occurring a little over a month later on October 17th, 2024
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