How to Catch the Last Supermoon of 2020
If you wake up early Thursday morning, go outside and look up: this will be your last chance to see the supermoon this year. The full moon this month is called the “full moon in flower”, which is the name for all flowers that are now reaching fullness. The next supermoon won’t happen until April 2021, and during a pandemic it could be the next century, so it’s worth taking the time to drink in the scenery.
Unless you get up early – which is understandable, especially given how overwhelmed, stressed and out of schedule we are all – the moon will still look full tonight until Friday morning, but 6:45 am ET at Thursday morning is okay. the exact moment when the moon is full.
Supermoons are brighter than normal full moons
We call this a supermoon when a new or full moon occurs within 90% of the perigee, which is the closest point in orbit to Earth. Although the resulting size difference is not visible to the naked eye, the moon will appear brighter than usual.
In 2020, four consecutive full moons – from February to May – met the criteria for a supermoon, with May being the last of the year. April’s “pink supermoon” was the brightest of the year, but this one is going to be pretty darn bright too.
If it is cloudy where you are, if you are not in a location with a good view of the moon, or if you sleep on Thursday morning, the Virtual Telescope project will broadcast a live broadcast of the moonrise over the Rome skyline. to begin Thursday at 2:30 pm ET.
Jupiter, Saturn and Mars will appear in the southeastern sky
In addition to the supermoon, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars will appear in the southeastern sky early Thursday morning. According to NASA :
“On the full moon morning on Thursday, May 7, 2020, while morning twilight begins (at 4:58 am ET in the Washington DC area), the three planets Jupiter, Saturn and Mars will appear in the southeast. sky. The brightest of the three, Jupiter, will appear in the southeast at an angle of about 28 degrees above the horizon. The dimmest of the three, Saturn, will appear about 5 degrees to the left of Jupiter. Mars, slightly brighter than Saturn, will appear in the southeast about 22 degrees above the horizon. The bright star that appears almost directly overhead will be Vega, one of three stars in the Summer Triangle. As the lunar cycle progresses, Jupiter, Saturn and the stellar background will move westward, while Mars will move more slowly. “
So if you are awake Thursday morning – or even if you have a few minutes this evening or tomorrow night – be sure to go outside and look at the moon. It will be a welcome distraction from … everything else.