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Tonight the Strawberry Superluna: here’s how to see it

It is the smallest of the giant full moons of this 2021, but it is still an opportunity not to be missed. Tonight in the sky is the last Superluna full of the year, after the spectacular one a few weeks ago. Also this time the Moon will be full and very close to the perigee, the minimum distance from the Earth, 359,959 kilometers from us, compared to the 384,000 which are the average distance.

As always for the Superluna, a non-technical term that indicates the Full moon near the perigee, the satellite of our planet will obviously not be larger, but it will appear as such.

The Moon will be closer and will appear brighter.

That of this month of June is defined Full moon of strawberries. It is the name that the Native Americans gave to the star of this month of the year. The first full moon of summer came at the time of the strawberry tale.

“The next” Superluna “will appear about 7% larger and a little brighter than average, but only an experienced observer could realize it,” he explains. Gianluca Masi, astrophysicist, scientific director of Virtual Telescope Project. “These are not exactly striking variations, which nevertheless add charm to the event, a precious opportunity to admire our natural satellite in the context of the night sky, an increasingly neglected and forgotten landscape”.

The moments of greatest visibility of the Superluna are at the rising of the moon and its setting, then at sunset and sunrise. “During twilight, the remaining sunlight allows you to admire the earth’s landscape as the full moon rises or falls on the horizon. At night its light is very intense, almost dazzling, compared to the very discreet one of the panorama. At its sunrise or sunset, the Moon is projected behind buildings and elements of the landscape, generating the sensation that its disk is larger, but it is only an optical illusion, due precisely to the presence in the visual field of terms of comparison ».

For the Northern hemisphere, June 24 will be the Lowest full moon of the year. In Rome it will reach a maximum height of 22 degrees. “Such a modest value will help make the color of our satellite warmer, due to our atmosphere,” says Masi.

The Virtual Telescope will film the Strawberry Superluna as it rises on the horizon of Rome, sharing the vision live. Appointment for June 24, 2021, starting at 9 pm. Participation is free.

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