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The Final “Supermoon” of 2019: First Day of Spring | March 20-21

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Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - 7:13 pm | Cost: FREE
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“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

The full moon on March 20-21, 2019 brings us the final “Supermoon” of 2019 – the first such supermoon to land on the first day of spring since 2000. Read more on EarthSky.

Best chance for photos of the Supermoon: Moonrise/Moonset
As long as weather corporates, the best time to take photos of a Supermoon 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.

  • Wednesday 3/20 Moonset – 7:19am
  • Wednesday 3/20 Moonrise – 7:13pm
  • Thursday 3/21 Moonset – 7:55am
  • Thursday 3/21 Moonrise – 8:25pm

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.

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.


Cost: FREE
Categories: **Annual Event**, *Top Pick*, Celestial Events, East Bay, Geek Event, Kids & Families, North Bay, Peninsula, San Francisco, South Bay