“Supermoon” shines tonight; Iran’s autumn sky hosts a rare phenomenon – | RCO News Agency

Kazem Kokaram, the spokesman of the amateur committee of the Iranian Astronomical Society, in an interview with the Mehr reporter, pointed out that today, Wednesday the 14th of Aban, at 16:49 Tehran time, the centers of the three spheres, the moon, the earth, and the sun, will be on the same plane, stating: This phenomenon causes the earth to be located almost between the moon and the sun Although it is slightly below or above the straight line. For this reason, the shadow of the earth does not fall on the surface of the moon and there is no lunar eclipse, but because the moon is in a position facing the earth and the sun, its surface facing the earth is seen completely bright and the full moon occurs.

He added: The time of occurrence of this state is around 16:50, very close to the time of sunset and full moon rise in Iran. Therefore, we see that the full moon rises from the horizon at the same time as the sun sets.

Kukram noted: Another thing is happening today, and that is that the moon is in a part of its elliptical orbit around the earth, which is a little closer than its average distance. The average distance of the moon from the earth is about 384 thousand 400 km. This distance reaches about 406 thousand kilometers in the farthest state and about 354 thousand kilometers in the closest state.

The spokesman of the amateur committee of the Iranian Astronomical Society further emphasized that tonight the distance between the moon and the earth is about 354,700 kilometers; That is, it is almost at its lowest distance from the earth.

Kukram continued: At this time, around 17:30 to 17:30 in the evening, the full moon can be seen. The apparent size of the moon disk tonight is about 8% bigger and its brightness is about 16% more than other full moons of the year. Of course, these differences are not noticeable to the naked eye.

According to the spokesman of the amateur committee of the Iranian Astronomical Society, the bigger moon is seen at sunrise, mostly due to vision error. The human mind compares the size of the moon with objects seen on the horizon, and as a result, the moon appears larger. However, a moonrise is always a fascinating sight for many people, and when it looks a little bigger, this effect can make it more enjoyable to watch.

Kukram advised enthusiasts that they can observe the moon at sunrise with a telescope or binoculars and then again at midnight, when the moon is at its highest point in the sky. At that time, they will see that its apparent size is no different from before, and that the feeling of being larger is simply the result of an error of vision.

He said: In western news sources, from this full moon or super moon It is called “Beaver Moon”. This name is derived from the North American indigenous culture. They chose a name for each month based on natural phenomena and seasonal activities. When the full moon appeared in November, water dogs in North America were busy building nests and preparing for the winter season; Therefore, it was called the Blue Dog Moon.

In the end, the spokesperson of the amateur committee of the Iranian Astronomical Society said: Names such as “Pink Moon” or “Strawberry Moon” are also derived from this cultural tradition and are merely a reflection of the native culture of that region and have nothing to do with Iranian culture.