A supermoon is a full moon that occurs within 90% of perigee, the closest point of the Moon’s orbit, so the Moon appears slightly larger and brighter than usual. At its closest, a supermoon looks up to about 14% larger and 30% brighter than a micromoon, the full moon near apogee.
Key facts
- The term supermoon was coined by Richard Nolle in 1979 and is not an official astronomical term.
- This site counts a full moon as a supermoon when it falls within 90% of perigee for that orbit.
- A supermoon looks up to about 14% larger and 30% brighter than a micromoon.
- Supermoons raise tides only slightly: the tidal range grows by about 5 cm (2 in) over an ordinary spring tide.
- A supermoon during a total lunar eclipse is popularly called a super blood moon.
What counts as a supermoon?
A supermoon is a full moon close to perigee, but the word is popular rather than official, so different sources draw the line at different distances.
The astrologer Richard Nolle coined the term in 1979. He defined a supermoon as a new or full moon that occurs when the Moon is at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in its orbit. NASA uses the word for a full moon that comes within at least 90% of perigee and notes that it is not an official astronomical term.
This site follows Nolle’s rule for full moons. For each full moon, the lunar engine finds the nearest perigee and apogee and calls the full moon a supermoon when its distance falls within the closest 10% of that range. A micromoon is the mirror case, a full moon within the farthest 10%. Every supermoon is a full moon, so the next full moon page shows the date when one is coming.
| Definition | Rule | Supermoons per year, 2000–2099 |
|---|---|---|
| Nolle (used on this site) | Full moon within 90% of perigee for that orbit | 2 to 5, about 4 on average |
| timeanddate | Full moon closer than 360,000 km (223,694 mi) | about 2 on average |
timeanddate also defines a micromoon as a full moon farther than 405,000 km (251,655 mi). The two rules explain why websites publish different supermoon counts for the same year.
Nolle’s definition includes new moons too. A new moon near perigee cannot be seen, so this site lists full moons only, and the countdown to the next new moon covers the dark phase.
When is the next supermoon?
The next supermoon is the Beaver Moon on , 360,754 km (224,162 mi) from Earth. Upcoming supermoons and micromoons for the next three years are listed below, with each full moon’s distance from Earth in kilometers and miles.
| Full moon (UTC) | Name | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, November 24, 2026, 14:54 | Beaver Moon | Supermoon | 360,754 km (224,162 mi) |
| Thursday, December 24, 2026, 01:28 | Cold Moon | Supermoon · closest of year | 356,729 km (221,661 mi) |
| Friday, January 22, 2027, 12:17 | Wolf Moon | Supermoon · closest of year | 357,635 km (222,224 mi) |
| Saturday, February 20, 2027, 23:24 | Snow Moon | Supermoon | 363,296 km (225,742 mi) |
| Saturday, June 19, 2027, 00:45 | Strawberry Moon | Micromoon | 401,943 km (249,756 mi) |
| Sunday, July 18, 2027, 15:45 | Buck Moon | Micromoon | 405,968 km (252,257 mi) |
| Tuesday, August 17, 2027, 07:29 | Sturgeon Moon | Micromoon | 405,069 km (251,698 mi) |
| Wednesday, January 12, 2028, 04:03 | Wolf Moon | Supermoon | 360,257 km (223,853 mi) |
| Thursday, February 10, 2028, 15:04 | Snow Moon | Supermoon · closest of year | 356,711 km (221,650 mi) |
| Saturday, March 11, 2028, 01:06 | Worm Moon | Supermoon | 358,061 km (222,489 mi) |
| Sunday, April 9, 2028, 10:27 | Pink Moon | Supermoon | 363,855 km (226,089 mi) |
| Saturday, August 5, 2028, 08:10 | Sturgeon Moon | Micromoon | 402,058 km (249,827 mi) |
| Sunday, September 3, 2028, 23:48 | Corn Moon | Micromoon | 406,148 km (252,369 mi) |
| Tuesday, October 3, 2028, 16:25 | Harvest Moon | Micromoon | 405,146 km (251,746 mi) |
| Tuesday, January 30, 2029, 06:04 | Wolf Moon | Supermoon | 367,036 km (228,065 mi) |
| Wednesday, February 28, 2029, 17:10 | Snow Moon | Supermoon | 359,648 km (223,475 mi) |
| Friday, March 30, 2029, 02:26 | Worm Moon | Supermoon · closest of year | 356,670 km (221,625 mi) |
| Saturday, April 28, 2029, 10:37 | Pink Moon | Supermoon | 358,370 km (222,681 mi) |
| Sunday, May 27, 2029, 18:38 | Flower Moon | Supermoon | 364,254 km (226,337 mi) |
| Saturday, September 22, 2029, 16:29 | Harvest Moon | Micromoon | 402,356 km (250,012 mi) |
| Monday, October 22, 2029, 09:28 | Hunter's Moon | Micromoon | 406,265 km (252,442 mi) |
Under the 90% rule, supermoons come in runs of four or five consecutive full moons, and micromoons in runs of two or three. Full moon and perigee fall back into line about every 411.8 days, about 13.5 months. The supermoon season therefore moves about a month later each year, and the micromoons arrive roughly seven months after the supermoons.
How much bigger and brighter is a supermoon?
A supermoon looks up to about 14% larger and 30% brighter than a micromoon, and up to about 7% larger and 16% brighter than an average full moon.
The Moon’s distance at full moon ranges from about 356,400 km (221,457 mi) to about 406,500 km (252,587 mi). Over that range, the Moon’s apparent diameter changes from about 0.56° to about 0.49°, a difference of 14%. Brightness follows the area of the disc, so 1.14 × 1.14 gives the 30% gain.
- Closest full moons
- about 356,400 km (221,457 mi)
- Farthest full moons
- about 406,500 km (252,587 mi)
- Size vs micromoon
- up to about 14% larger
- Brightness vs micromoon
- up to about 30% brighter
- Compared with an average full moon
- up to about 7% larger, 16% brighter
Why is a supermoon hard to notice?
A supermoon is hard to notice because there is nothing beside it for comparison, and the moon illusion changes how big the Moon looks far more than its distance does.
The Moon’s size changes gradually from one full moon to the next, and nobody sees a supermoon and a micromoon on the same night. A 14% difference across a disc only about half a degree wide is easy to miss from memory. Side-by-side photos taken with the same lens show it clearly.
The moon illusion has a stronger effect. timeanddate notes that it makes more difference to how big the Moon looks than the real boost from being closer to Earth. Royal Museums Greenwich explains that near the horizon the brain projects the Moon as larger than it is. Any full moon can look huge at moonrise and shrink in the mind as it climbs.
Do supermoons cause higher tides?
Supermoons raise tides only slightly: a full or new moon near perigee produces a perigean spring tide, whose range is only about 5 cm (2 in) larger than an ordinary spring tide’s.
NOAA explains that the new or full moon coincides closely with perigee about six to eight times a year. timeanddate puts the extra tidal range at around 5 cm (2 in) compared with regular spring tides, and Royal Museums Greenwich describes the effect as only a couple of inches. Compared with an apogean spring tide, when the Moon is far away, the difference is larger. NOAA notes that high tides can be more than 30 cm (1 ft) higher in some places, and more than 90 cm (3 ft) higher where tidal ranges are extreme, such as Anchorage, Alaska.
A perigean spring tide alone does not cause major flooding. NOAA says it can cause minor coastal flooding in some low-lying areas when combined with seasonal changes in tides and mean sea level. Major flooding usually needs a storm as well.
What is a super blood moon?
A super blood moon is a supermoon that coincides with a total lunar eclipse, when the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow and turns a coppery red.
Three recent super blood moons:
- September 28, 2015 at 02:51 UTC, the evening of September 27 in the Americas. This total eclipse fell on the Harvest Moon, at about 356,869 km (221,748 mi).
- January 21, 2019 at 05:16 UTC, the evening of January 20 in western North America, a total eclipse of the January full moon.
- May 26, 2021, a total eclipse of the May full moon.
On January 31, 2018, a supermoon, a Blue Moon and a total eclipse fell on the same full moon, a combination often called a super blue blood moon. The guide to the blood moon explains why the eclipsed Moon turns red.
How do you photograph a supermoon?
Photograph a supermoon at moonrise, when it is low enough to frame against a landscape and the twilight sky still shows detail in both.
- Check the timing. Local moonrise and moonset times give the minute and direction for your city. The evening before the full moon often works best, because the Moon rises shortly before sunset.
- Use a long lens on a tripod. A telephoto lens or the longest phone zoom makes the Moon fill more of the frame next to a distant building or hill.
- Expose for the Moon. Lower the exposure until craters and maria show; the Moon is lit by full sunlight and is far brighter than the twilight sky.
- Compare with a micromoon. Photograph a supermoon and a micromoon with the same lens and settings to see the 14% difference.