A micromoon will grace the night skies this weekend
A full moon rises above the clouds at sunset in Lisbon, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. Credit: AP/Armando Franca
NEW YORK — There's a micromoon coming up.
The full moon will look slightly smaller and dimmer on Saturday night. But the change may be tricky to spot with the naked eye.
“It's a very subtle difference,” said astrophysicist Alain Brizard from Saint Michael's College in Vermont.
The phenomenon happens when the moon is at a point farthest away from Earth. It's opposite to a supermoon, where the moon swings closer to Earth and looks a bit larger.
To see the micromoon, go outside and look up in an area with a clear view of the moon.
Supermoons and micromoons happen a few times a year as the moon's full phase syncs up with its orbit.
Another micromoon is on tap for May. Three supermoons will be visible this year in October, November and December.
The flower moon rises behind the ancient temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Athens, Greece, on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Credit: AP/Petros Giannakouris
A more colorful lunar event took place in March when a total eclipse turned the moon coppery red.
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