First supermoon in 2023 comes during holiday weekend


The first supermoon in 2023 is set to appear on Sunday night.

Since the moon orbits the Earth in an ellipse, there are times of the year when it appears closest, which happens often in the moon’s 27-day journey. However, when the moon is at its closest, otherwise known as its perigee, and it is simultaneously a full moon, it’s known as a supermoon.

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Supermoon Milwaukee
A plane passes in front of a full moon Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Milwaukee. The moon’s orbit brought it closer to Earth than usual. This cosmic combo is called a supermoon. One name for Wednesday’s full moon is the “Buck moon”–a reference to the time of year when new antlers are growing on male deer, or bucks. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)


On Sunday night, the moon will be 226,000 miles, less than 30,000 closer than it is at its furthest point. Because it falls on a holiday, it’s likely the supermoon will be the backdrop to fireworks displays.

“High tides and low tides will be more extreme with a perigean full moon and more so for an extreme perigean full moon,” NASA explained on its website. “The extremes are greater due to the difference in the gravitational pull of the Moon across Earth’s diameter.”

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The supermoon will still be visible Monday night.

Three more supermoons are slated to shine this year: Aug. 1, Aug. 30, and Sept. 29.

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