The Biggest “Supermoon” of 2020 | Pink Moon

Submitted by the Event Organizer

“Supermoon” Night Over San Francisco 2024

Thanks to an optical illusion in the sky, the moon will appear bigger and brighter than normal in the San Francisco Bay Area in the night, during what astronomers call a “supermoon.”

Because the sun is about 50,000 miles closer to the earth than at its furthest point – and it’s a full or new moon – the moon will appear larger and brighter than most full moons. To be considered a supermoon, it has to be within 224,851 miles (361,863 kilometers) of our planet, as measured from the centers of the moon and Earth.

The best time to observe the supermoon is when the moon is near the horizon during either moonrise or moonset, thanks to having objects in the foreground (like buildings or trees) to provide reference points for estimating the moon’s size.

2024 Supermoons & Rare Full Moons

• August 19 – “Blue” Supermoon
• September 17 – Super Harvest Moon plus a partial lunar eclipse
• October 17 – Super Hunter’s Moon and the closest full supermoon for 2024
• November 15 – Full Moon, Supermoon

Read more about 2024’s Supermoons at Earthsky

Source: EarthSky

Tuesday, April 7, 2020
“Supermoon” Night Over San Francisco 2024

On April 8th, the Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 7:35 pm pst. This year, in 2020, this April full moon also presents the closest (and thereby the largest) supermoon of the year.

This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the first spring flowers. This moon has also been known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon, and the Egg Moon. Many coastal tribes called it the Full Fish Moon because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

This is also the third of four supermoons for 2020. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual. This full moon instant comes on April 7, at 7:35 pm pst when the moon will appear at its largest.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.