See the First of 3 Straight Supermoons This Week
Get a look at the moon looking super.
Each time one comes around, there's debate about whether a supermoon has truly earned its "super" moniker. That's fair. Call it what you want, a supermoon lands this month, nonetheless.
Supermoon is a colloquial title given to a perigee-syzygy moon, which takes place when a full moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth. The moon has an elliptical orbit, so at some times it's closer to Earth than at others. We'll get a supermoon—the first of three consecutive ones—on April 26. (Bonus: The second of the three will be a total lunar eclipse.) It'll be the first one since May of last year.
The debate around the name stems from the supermoon only being a little super. It is slightly larger than an average full moon, and it's slightly brighter. Slightly is an appropriate word there. It's not a great deal brighter. It's around 14% larger and 30% brighter than a micromoon, which is what we get when the moon is at its apogee or the furthest point from Earth in its orbit. While 14% does make it bigger, it's not a significant difference. For instance, if Justice League was 14% better, it'd be Zack Snyder's Justice League. It's better, but it's still Justice League in the end. (Is that helping, or does that make it more confusing?)
Still, we're allowed to enjoy things. Go out and admire the moon. If you feel up to it, call it super.