This Wednesday, July 13, the night will offer us an XXL full moon: the Super Moon. Even bigger and brighter than usual, the star will be located just 357,264 km from Earth. It will be visible from 10 p.m. in France and until 4:52 a.m. the next day, which promises a great show at the start of the summer holidays. The Moon will be at perigee at 11:05 a.m., indicates the Institute of Celestial Mechanics and Ephemeris Calculation (IMCCE).
This is the second time this year that the French will be able to admire this phenomenon, also called “perigee-syzygy”. But it will be even more impressive than last June 14 because the distance between the Earth and the Moon will this time be reduced to its minimum. It’s called a “Super Thunder Moon” because it occurs in July, one of the hottest and stormiest months of the year.
The Moon is located on average 384,400 km from Earth. During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, you will therefore be able to see it much closer. With the naked eye, or with the help of a telescope for the best equipped. A pair of binoculars can also do the trick to distinguish the reliefs on the surface of the star. Enthusiasts also have the possibility of going to a club of the French Astronomical Association (AFA) to benefit from optimal conditions.
To be sure not to miss anything of this spectacle, you must pray for clear skies and get as far away as possible from city light sources. Don’t panic for those who miss this Super Moon: they will be able to make up for it on August 11, the date of the next and last Super Moon of the year.
Le Parisien indicates that another phenomenon will occur in the sky during the same night: the arrival of a comet. It “will be located 270 km from Earth at a speed of 615 km/s”, specifies the daily. But this time, you will have to count on a good dose of luck to observe it.
