SUPER MOON. This Monday, July 3, 2023 is marked by a Super Moon, also called “Super Deer Moon”, in the night sky. A rare event that deserves to look up to the skies and that has already been photographed in some places around the globe.
[Updated July 3, 2023 9:42 PM] The “Super Deer Moon” has been visible in the French sky since dusk this Monday. Closer to Earth than usual, the star then appears 5.8% larger and 12.8% brighter than usual at the time of the “perigee-syzygia” phenomenon, when the Full Moon is on the point of its orbit closest to the Earth. Check out the first photos of the supermoon taken around the world:
In order to fully enjoy the show, even without a telescope, it is advisable to move away from sources of light pollution. But why is it a Super Moon and what is the origin of its name? How far is it from Earth? Do we need astronomical instruments to observe it? All your questions answered below:
In astronomy, this event is called “perigee-syzygia”, the name of Super Moon having nothing scientific, since it is an invention of the astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979. “A Super moon occurs when the full moon coincides with the moment when the Moon comes closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point called perigee,” explains NASA’s website.
By Super Moon, we therefore mean a celestial phenomenon that is due to two elements: the only satellite of planet Earth passes closest to us when it is a full moon evening.
The Super Moon phenomenon is observable when the Full Moon is located at its perigee, the point in its orbit closest to Earth. The French had to keep their eyes peeled tonight to make the most of the spectacle of the Full Moon as the sun set. It will be observable all night.
The phenomenon dubbed “Super Moon” by astrologer Richard Nolle, but which scientists prefer to call the “perigee-syzygy phenomenon”, occurs when the point of the lunar orbit is at a minimum distance from Earth. When is the Moon closest to Earth? When located at a distance of less than 360,000 km (the average distance between the Earth and the Moon is 384,400 km) according to the Paris Observatory. This Monday, July 3, 2023, the full moon is 361,934 kilometers from Earth, according to the Institute of Celestial Mechanics and Ephemeris Calculation (IMCCE).
The Super Deer Moon is so named by Native American tribes because it coincides with the season when deer antlers regrow at that time of year. It is also called the Thunder Moon in the Native American tradition because of the thunderstorms caused by the high summer heat.
The Super Moon is only really observable after sunset, with the naked eye, using binoculars or telescopes. In order to observe a Super Moon in optimal conditions, you must equip yourself with astronomical glasses or a telescope, far from atmospheric pollution, or go to one of the clubs of the French Astronomical Association (AFA). See the map.
A Super Moon appears slightly brighter and larger than a Full Moon, simply because it appears at perigee, at its closest orbit point to Earth, less than 360,000 km away.
Due to the Full Moon’s proximity to our planet Earth, its effects have an even stronger impact on tides, mood, and sleep. Indeed, as explained in a 2013 Swiss scientific study published in the journal Current Biology, “a lunar rhythm can modulate sleep patterns in humans.” This means that the time to fall asleep is extended by 5 minutes, deep sleep decreased by 30% and sleep duration by 20 minutes. Consequently, the level of melatonin, a hormone secreted during our sleep, which has a role to play in mood, is lower, which can cause irritability or even depression.
