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August’s supermoon is the first of four lunar spectacles

By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
Published: August 20, 2024, 8:19am
4 Photos
A supermoon is seen over San Francisco from Marin Headlands in Sausalito, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.
A supermoon is seen over San Francisco from Marin Headlands in Sausalito, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) Photo Gallery

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Monday’s supermoon was the first of four this year.

During a supermoon, the full moon inches a little closer than usual to Earth. A supermoon isn’t bigger, but it can appear that way in the night sky, although scientists say the difference can be barely perceptible.

September’s supermoon will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. October’s will be the year’s closest approach, and November’s will round out the year.

More a popular term than a scientific one, a supermoon occurs when a full lunar phase syncs up with an especially close swing around Earth. This usually happens only three or four times a year and consecutively, given the moon’s constantly shifting, oval-shaped orbit.

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