A micro new moon will be visible in South Africa’s sky this evening. This is when a full or new moon coincides with apogee. Apogee is the furthest point from Earth in the moon’s orbit, making the moon appear smaller.
Perigree is the opposite of this, when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth. A supermoon is essentially when a full moon occurs around perigee.
When a new moon occurs around apogee, it is called a micro new moon, a mini new moon or Apogee moon. This is an excellent time to stargaze as there is little to no light emanating from the moon, making it easier for starts to be seen.
A micro moon is further away from the earth and so it appears 14% smaller than a supermoon, according to timeanddate.com. The illuminated area looks 30% smaller and so the moonlight is somewhat less bright.
While not as dazzling as a supermoon, take a break from the indoors and lie back and look at the stars.
Image: Unsplash
