Perigee moon

TONIGHT'S FULL MOON IS A PERIGEE MOON: If you think tonight's full Moon seems a bit bigger and brighter than usual, you're right.  It's a "perigee Moon," about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons we've seen earlier this year.  The Moon's orbit is an ellipse with one side (perigee) about 50,000 km closer than the other (apogee): diagram.  Perigee moons--a.k.a. "supermoons"--are not unusual. This is the third month in a row we've had one. 

Photo credit: Gianluca Masi of Rome, Italy. Dec. 13, 2016

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