Does the moon look smaller tonight? Here’s why a ‘micromoon’ rises
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The Gypeus moon is diminished in the sky of the night. | Credit: SJO/Getty Images
If you monitor the thirsty moon, you may notice that our moon only appears Small A little smaller in the night sky tonight.
On Monday (17 February), the moon reaches what is known as Apoge – far from a point away from land. The orbit or oval in the moon, which means that the Earth’s distance changes during a 27.3 -day cycle around our planet. Sometimes it is closer to us, which is why we are testing.The property“Or whole moons that appear slightly larger in the sky of the night.
But at other times, such as tonight, the moon Far, which makes her look smaller. The moon’s distance only changes by about 14 % as it approaches the Earth and farther from the Earth during its orbit, so for most Skywatchers monitors, the change in size will not be clearly evident.
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The accurate moment of APOGEE occurs at 8:10 pm Each time (0110 GMT on February 18) tonight, but the moon will be below the horizon at the time. For observers in the northern hemisphere, the moon will not rise above the eastern horizon even shortly before midnight, and is still at the end of its orbit from the Earth. The moon will be in Virgo constellation.
The age of the moon tonight is 19 days (a new moon), in Gibbous stage declineAnd approaching its next phase, the third -quarter satellite, which occurs on February 20. Although the moon is half my spelling, we call this “third stage” because it comes when the moon is three quarters of the road through its orbit around the Earth.
After the third quarter, the next stage in the moon cycle will be the new moon on February 27. One day, the moon will be just a one -day -old chip, and it appears between Saturn and Mercury in the sky of the night.
Clarification of the young moon between mercury and Saturn on February 28, 2025. Credit: Chris Fujan/Night of the Stars
Do you want to see pits and other features on the moon? Our evidence to The best telescopes and Best perspectives They are useful tools for anyone who hopes to take a closer look on the land of the land of the Earth.
And if you are looking to take pictures of the sky of the night or the moon, check our evidence How to imagine the moonfor How to shoot at night skyAnd our evidence to The best astronomical photography cameras and The best astronomical photography lenses.
Editor’s note: If you get a good picture of the moon, you want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photo (photos), your comments, your name and your location Spacephotos@space.com.