If you step outside tonight in Tulsa (or anywhere with a clear sky), you’ll probably notice the full moon looking extra big and bright, at least right on the horizon into the early evening. Maybe you’ve heard it’s a supermoon.

So, what makes the moon a supermoon?

Is the Moon Actually Bigger?

Nope. Just to state the obvious, the moon doesn’t grow larger. It just looks bigger because it’s closer to Earth in its orbit.

The moon orbits our planet in an elliptical path, meaning sometimes it’s a bit closer (called perigee) and other times it’s farther away (called apogee). When a full moon happens to line up with perigee, we get what’s known as a supermoon.

How Much Closer Is It?

During a supermoon, the moon can be about 14% closer to Earth than during a typical full moon. That means it ap

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