Vietnamese people are about to witness four consecutive supermoons: What's so interesting about that?

Starting with the first supermoon of 2024 in August, Vietnamese astronomy enthusiasts will have the opportunity to admire four consecutive supermoons.

A supermoon occurs when the moon reaches its perigee (the point closest to Earth on its elliptical orbit around the Earth) at or near the time of a full moon or new moon.

A supermoon occurs on the night of a full moon, when the moon's disc is about 14% larger in diameter (approximately 30% larger in area) and about 30% brighter than when the moon is at its aphelion (the furthest point in its orbit).

HUY HYUNH

For observers on Earth, the new moon is unobservable; this coincidence can only be observed during a full moon. When a supermoon occurs on a full moon night, the moon's disc is about 14% larger in diameter (approximately 30% larger in area) and about 30% brighter than when the moon is at its aphelion (the furthest point in its orbit). "In reality, compared to most regular full moons, a supermoon is only about 10% larger in diameter, which doesn't make a significant difference when observed directly," the expert said.

What supermoons are there?

According to Livescience, the first supermoon of 2024 will occur on August 19th, also known as the Sturgeon Moon. Interestingly, this supermoon coincides with the Blue Moon. Because it is the third of four full moons in this season, it is called the Blue Moon. This rare historical event only occurs every few years, giving rise to the term "one-time Blue Moon." Normally, there are only three full moons in each season. However, because the cycle of a full moon occurs every 29.53 days, occasionally a season will have four full moons. The extra full moon in a season is called a Blue Moon.

Observing supermoons and full moons is a fascinating experience for many astronomy enthusiasts.

HUY HYUNH

The second supermoon of 2024 will occur on September 18th, also known as the Harvest Moon. However, this supermoon coincides with a partial lunar eclipse, when the sun, Earth, and moon are nearly aligned, causing the moon to appear partially incomplete when viewed from Earth. This eclipse will be easily observable in the Americas, Africa, and Europe. The supermoon on October 17th is one of the notable supermoons of 2024, also known as the Hunter's Moon. A little over a month later, on November 15th, will be the last supermoon of 2024, also known as the Beaver Moon.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-viet-nam-sap-duoc-ngam-4-sieu-trang-lien-tiep-co-gi-thu-vi-185240730083654181.htm