Pattaya – Stargazers cast their eyes to the heavens last night to witness what astronomers said will be the largest supermoon this year, when it came particularly close to the Earth.
The Moon was said to be 356,595 kilometers away from Earth on Tuesday night and appeared 7% larger and 16% brighter than the supermoon event seen on December 3 last year. It could be seen from 6:00 p.m. onward.
Even though the Moon’s elliptical orbit brings it in closer proximity to the Earth every month, it does not always appear full at this time. The point in the Moon’s orbit closest to Earth is called perigee, while the point in the orbit farthest from Earth is known as apogee. The average distance between Earth and the Moon is approx. 382,500 kilometers or 237,700 miles.
The next supermoon event in Thailand is expected to occur on January 21, 2019 when the Moon will come within 357,706 kilometers of the Earth. Meanwhile, a rare full moon and total lunar eclipse will occur later this month on January 31.
