Micromoons | 14th March, 13th April and 12th May

You’ve probably heard about ‘Supermoons’, but what about ‘Micromoons’?

In the strictest sense, these aren’t astronomy terms — ‘supermoon’ was coined by an astrologer, and some people are still convinced that the extra gravitational ‘tug’ from a supermoon is responsible for natural disasters.

Because the moon’s orbit around Earth is slightly oval-shaped or elliptical, every month there’s a time when the Moon is at its closest distance to Earth (perigee) and another time when it is at its furthest distance from Earth (apogee).

Since a supermoon is when the moon is at perigee, it follows that a micromoon is when the moon is at apogee.

So, while terms like ‘supermoon’ or micromoon’ aren’t official astronomical terms, they do grab your attention — and that means more people heading outside to gaze up at the wonderful night sky.

When and where to look:

• 14th March. Moonrise is at 6.36pm (AWST) and the full moon is 401,500km away from the Earth at apogee.
• 13th April. Moonrise is at 5.55pm (AWST) and the full moon is 406,000km away from the Earth at apogee.
• 12th May. Moonrise is at 4.57pm (AWST) and the full moon is 405,000km away from the Earth at apogee. It may be a little more difficult to see the Moon rise clearly as the Sun won’t set until 5.29pm (AWST).

The Moon always rises in the east, so find a place with a clear view to the eastern horizon.

What craters can you see on the Moon?

The next time you observe the Moon, take it one step further and identify a crater or two! We’ve highlighted some great tools that will help you with maps of all the features on the surface of the Moon.

Before you know it, you’ll be pointing out the Tycho Crater or the Sea of Tranquility (Mare Tranquillitatis) to friends and family!

Try some of these free apps and software:

• Moon Globe (for iOS)
• LunarMap Lite (for Android)

Does a ‘Micromoon’ appear smaller to the naked eye?

Did you know, the difference in apparent size between between a ‘Micromoon’ and a ‘Supermoon’ is only about 13%? That’s not detectable to the naked eye, and barely noticeable with a telescope, so you probably won’t be able to tell the difference.

For some comparisons between ‘Super’ and ‘Micro’ moons, check out our handy infographic below, or read more on the NASA website.

There’s also some great information on Fred Espenak’s Astro Pixels website.