2013 supermoon dazzles night sky for spectators

40 photos

This weekend, lunar fans enjoyed the sights of a “supermoon” when it passed by the earth at its closest point for 2013. Here’s a look at this year’s “supermoon” and those from years past.

‘Supermoon’ to brighten night sky Sunday
By Scott Dance, The Baltimore Sun
June 21, 2013

The Full Strawberry Moon arrives Sunday, and it will be a “supermoon” appearing larger than many other full moons.

A supermoon is a full moon that coincides with the moon’s perigee, or the point in its orbit at which it’s closest to Earth. While the nickname makes it sound extraordinary, supermoons actually occur every year.

They can appear more dramatic, however — 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than when the moon is at apogee, furthest from Earth, according to EarthSky.org.

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