The full Moon of September 18, 2024 is the last one of summer (also called ‘harvest’). Let’s find out why it will be a Supermoon
The next one Police officer will occur on Friday September 18th at 04:36 Italian time and it will be the first in autumn 2023 (our Satellite will be at a distance of precisely 363.774 km kilometers). The September full moon is also called the “Harvest Moon”, so called because it coincides with the annual harvest in the Northern Hemisphere. A Superluna occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to the Earth and there is a full Moon.
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But what’s special about a Supermoon?
Well, for those who look at it, there’s a lot. The Moon, for example, orbits the Earth following an ellipseor an oval line that brings it closer to and further away from our planet. The farthest point of this ellipse is the apogee and is on average 405 thousand kilometers from Earth. When it reaches the point of maximum proximity to the Earth, however, it is called perigeeat an average distance of about 363 thousand kilometers from Earth. When the full Moon appears in the perigee, it is slightly than a normal full moon: this is where we have a Supermoon (in contrast we will have a micromoon). The term was coined in 1979 and is often used to describe what astronomers call a “perigean full moon.”
How and when to observe the event
Our Satellite will rise at 19:00 circa approximately south-east and will be visible the entire night (the exact time depends on the place of observation and on having the horizon free from natural and/or artificial obstacles). It’s an opportunity for those who own or telescopes to take a look at it. But even to the naked eye it will have its charm. For those who want to approach sky observation, we recommend the book by Daniele Gasparri““. Here’s the .
