Rare Strawberry Supermoon to thrill UAE skygazers on June 14

Gulf Today Report

A rare Strawberry Supermoon will thrill skygazers in the UAE on Tuesday and will also be visible around the world.

Dubai Astronomy Group said, “A supermoon is a full moon or a new moon that nearly coincides with perigee—the closest that the Moon comes to the Earth in its elliptic orbit—resulting in a slightly larger-than-usual apparent size of the lunar disc as viewed from Earth.

The moon will start appearing to naked eye from 6:30pm June 14, 2022.
The authorities said that this supermoons is one of four that will grace the skies this year. On May 16, a supermoon was witnessed.

A supermoon is a full moon or a new moon that approximately coincides with the closest distance that the Moon reaches to Earth in its elliptic orbit (less than 360,000 km), resulting in a larger-than-usual apparent size of the lunar disk as seen from Earth.

As the celestial night falls, the majestic spectacle will begin and illuminate people all over the world as they leave their worries behind to go on a divine gastronomical voyage. Several outlets in Dubai are late dining services to enjoy the phenomenon.

The head of the Jeddah Astronomical Society in Saudi Arabia, Eng. Majed Abu Zahra, said that the giant full moon for the month of Dhul Qi’dah will be observed in Saudi as well.

He stated that it will represent the second giant full moon this year, as its apparent size will appear larger and brighter than usual, just a week before the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, according to Saudi local media.

He said that the moon will remain full throughout the night, but scientifically it is called the “full moon” at the moment when the moon is at an angle of 180 degrees from the sun.

Half of its orbit around the Earth during this month, 11 hours and 32 minutes before it reaches its closest distance from Earth.

He added that after that stage, the giant full moon will rise from the southeast horizon after sunset, and the path it will take in the sky will simulate the low path of the sun after six months from now, as it will be in the far south, as this moon is complete with a full moon near the summer solstice.

He indicated that he will notice that the apparent size of the moon is large during its rising, when it is close to the horizon, and it may be red or orange, but after rising in the sky, its size returns to small, and this is just an optical illusion that occurs in the middle of each lunar month.