Where to See This Weekend's Extreme 'Supermoon'

Photo of the 2012 Supermoon over Valencia, Calif., by AccuWeather Facebook fan Dan C.

The night of June 22 into June 23 will feature a full moon, but it may look more impressive than any full moons seen so far this year. The moon will be at its lunar perigee, the closest it will get to the Earth in 2013, which will make it look somewhat larger than usual.

According to AccuWeather's Mark Paquette, the term "Supermoon" (technically called a Perigee Full Moon by astronomers) was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle. It is used to describe full moon (or a new moon) that is at 90 percent or greater of its closest perigee to Earth.

An extreme Supermoon occurs when the new or full moon is at 100 percent greater mean perigee. The view of the moon this weekend will therefore be an Extreme Supermoon as it passes 356,991 kilometers away from the Earth, compared to its "typical" distance of 384,400 kilometers.

Supermoons can have an affect on the tides, but as far as having any adverse affects on behaviors or weather, there is no supporting science. Most likely, all that will occur is a better view of the moon with some great photo opportunities for those in areas with favorable viewing conditions.

Skies over the Desert Southwest and the lower Ohio Valley into the mid-Atlantic and southern New England will have the clearest skies for viewing the moon. The Upper Midwest will have the poorest conditions as rain and thunderstorms will sit above the area overnight. Showers will also affect part of the Northwest and pockets of the Plains and Deep South, but will die out as the night goes on. The rest of the United States will have times of clear skies with patchy clouds obstructing views at times.

For more information, updates and to submit your Supermoon photos, join the Accuweather Astronomy Facebook page.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments