On Wednesday, Aug. 30, Shippensburg was dazzled by the beam of a beautiful blue supermoon, the closest full moon of the year. A perigean full moon, better known as a supermoon, happens when the moon is full during the closest point in its orbit around Earth.
According to NASA, the moon's typical orbit ranges between 226,000 and 251,000 miles from Earth, but variances can bring it slightly closer or farther away. Only the closest three or 4 approaches each year qualify as supermoons. The last supermoon fell earlier this month on Aug. 2, inspiring photographers from all over the world to document the spectacle. However, Wednesday’s supermoon was the brightest of 2023.
The Earth’s lunar sidekick was considered super this week due to its larger and brighter appearance at 222,043 miles away, nearly 18,000 miles closer than its average distance. The celestial spectacle also included Saturn, visible alongside the supermoon.
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