The Biggest Supermoon of 2014

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.

Source: EarthSky

August 10th Supermoon – 2014

On August 10, 2014, the moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth, giving us the biggest Supermoon of 2014.

Moonrise on August 10th is 8:01pm

Astronomers call this sort of close full moon a perigee full moon. The word perigee describes the moon’s closest point to Earth for a given month. – EarthSky

This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Sturgeon Moon because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon. – Sea and Sky

This night is also a good one to start watching the Perseids Meteor Shower. Although the full moon may make it difficult to see the stars, you should still be able to catch the Perseids display right after midnight.