The Biggest Supermoon of 2019
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.
2019 Supermoon | February 18-20
From around the world, the moon will look plenty full to the eye tonight (February 18-19) and tomorrow night (February 19-20) as it parades across the nighttime sky. Read more on EarthSky.
Best chance for photos of the Super Moon: Moonrise/Moonset
As long as weather coorporates, the best time to take photos of a Super Moon is either right around moonrise or moonset as the moon will be closest to the horizon so you can see the moon relative to hills, trees or buildings for a frame of reference.
- Monday 2/18 Moonrise – 5:00pm
- Tuesday 2/19 Moonset – 7:10am
- Tuesday 2/19 Moonrise – 6:14pm
- Wednesday 2/20 Moonset – 7:50am
Although the moon appears full for a few to several nights in succession, the moon is only truly full for a fleeting instant – when the moon lies 180 degrees opposite the sun, from the vantage point of Earth.
The full moon on February 19, 2019, counts as the most “super” of these full supermoons because it’s the full moon that most closely aligns with perigee – the moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit.
