Supermoon lights up night sky for last time in 2020

The supermoon in Lancashire
PA
Kit Heren8 May 2020

People around the world saw a supermoon light up the night sky on Thursday for the third and final time in 2020.

A supermoon is when the full moon looks larger than normal because it comes at the same time as the moon's orbit comes closest to the Earth.

May's full moon, also called the flower moon and the hare moon, was around six per cent larger than usual, according to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, south-east London.

Dr Greg Brown, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory, said: “The moon’s orbit around the Earth is not entirely circular, instead a slightly flattened circle or ellipse.

The Supermoon over Canary Wharf in London
PA

“As such, it is sometimes closer to and sometimes further away from the Earth.

“While definitions vary, a supermoon typically occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon being within the closest 10% of its orbit.”

People gathering to watch the supermoon on Primrose Hill in north London
PA

But the supermoon will be the last this year.

Dr Brown added: “Because of how the dynamics of orbits work, these usually occur in runs of two or three with longer gaps of several months between each set of supermoons.”

The supermoon seen over buildings in London
PA

The moon was visible in the UK on Thursday night and early on Friday morning, and people went out to try to capture the sight on camera.

The next supermoon will be in April 2021.

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