Supermoon on 31 January 2014 – the second of the five supermoons of 2014 would be visible on Friday, an organization working for popularizing astronomy said here Tuesday.
Space Foundation said the first supermoon of 2014 appeared Jan 1 – making January the single calendar month with two supermoons until January 2018.
Friday’s supermoon would be visible around 3.30 p.m.
The remaining three supermoons will be visible July 12, Aug 10 and Sep 9. The one in August would be closest to Earth.
“A supermoon is when the moon makes its closest approach to Earth in its orbit than usual. It appears as much as 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter,” said Space Foundation president C.B. Devgun.
According to the organization, the term supermoon came from astrologer Richard Nolle over 30 years ago in 1979. During the phenomenon, the Earth, moon and sun are all in a line, with the moon in its nearest approach to earth.
Prior to 1979, supermoons were called perigee full moon or perigee new moon.
Courtesy – TOI.