Science Behind Super Pink Moon 2020
The moon is a single natural satellite of earth. The moon revolves around the earth just as the earth revolves around the sun, it goes around the earth at an average distance of about 385,000 km.
In super moon the moon appears to have something big in its shape or size.
What is a Supermoon?
The distance of the moon and earth become much lesser in the super moon.
At this time the moon is closest to the earth due to which the moon appears to us 30% more brighter and 14% larger in size.
The moon orbits in elliptical form that’s why the moon is visible from the earth sometimes near and far. The farthest point in this ellipse is called the apogee and is about 405500 km from the earth on average. it’s closest point is the perigee which is an average distance about 36300 km from earth. Therefore the average distance between the moon and the earth is reported to be about 385000 km. When the full moon is on the perigee then the moon appears to be the most shining. There is no scientific definition of Supermoon. The term supermoon given by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979.
“A full moon or new moon has to come within 90% of its closest approach to earth to be dubbed a supermoon”
-Richard Nolle
How many supermoons in a year?
According to the definition of Nolle, there can be a 3-4 full supermoon in a year. For 2020, the 4 full moons from February to May meet this year.
Full moon, supermoons of this year
- 9th march 2020, 357404 km.
- 7-8th April 2020, 357035 km (closest supermoon of the year).
- 7th May 2020, 361184 km.
Is the moon pink?
The moon is never pink. Moon can appear sometimes yellow, orange or red when it is horizon.
Why we called pink moon this supermoon
The reason behind this is that the colonials people of Europe tried to settle north Amerca on Western Ideology and in this culture each month’s moon is given a nickname. Pink moon named April month moon is given in the name of pink wildflower Phlox Subulata which blooms in April. It is a native flower of North America.
Also read: Soap v/s Hand Sanitizer: Which works better against the Novel Coronavirus?
