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It's your last chance to see a supermoon this year with the 'strawberry' moon

It's your last chance to see a supermoon this year with the 'strawberry' moon
a supermoon is a moon that is full when it is also at or near its closest point in its orbit around Earth. Since the moon's orbit is elliptical, one side apogee is about 30,000 miles, 50,000 kilometers farther from Earth and the other perigee nearby perigee full moons appear about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than full moons that occur near apogee in the moon's orbit. The Super moons are a great opportunity for people to start looking at the moon, not just once, but every chance they have, says Noah Petro, a research scientist from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. It's hard for our eyes to distinguish the small changes in size when the moon is high amidst the vastness of the night sky. But any time you catch a full moon as it rises or sets while it suspended low on the horizon, beaming through the silhouettes of trees or buildings, its appearance size might make you do a double take. You almost feel as though you could reach out, grab the glowing orb and drop it into your coffee cup even more so, if it's a supermoon
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It's your last chance to see a supermoon this year with the 'strawberry' moon
The last supermoon of 2021 — the "strawberry" full moon — will rise Thursday.Viewers will see a large golden (sorry, not strawberry-colored) moon for two to three nights, according to EarthSky.This supermoon becomes completely full at 2:40 p.m. ET on Thursday afternoon. It won't be fully visible in North America until later in the evening during "moonrise," when the sun sets and the moon ascends into view. But viewers all over the world can see the strawberry moon, depending on where they are in respect to the horizon.Definitions of a supermoon can vary, but the term generally denotes a full moon that is brighter and closer to Earth and thus appears larger in the night sky."The term 'supermoon' is much more recent and has come to be any full or new moon within 90% of its closest approach to Earth," wrote Christine Shupla, education and public engagement manager at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, in an email. "By that definition, the full Moon on June 24 is also a supermoon, even though it is not as close as the full Moon was in May or April."Some stick to a stricter definition of supermoon, like Noah Petro, a lunar scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. For him, the only real supermoon is the one closest full moon of the year, which was last month's "flower" moon. Still, he acknowledged that others use the definition Shupla provided."That there is no standard definition is a bother, but anything that gets people interested and excited about looking at and wanting to know more about the Moon is a great thing!!!" Petro wrote in an email.The strawberry moon is the first of four full moons of the summer season. Its name, which originates from Indigenous peoples, refers to the ripening of strawberries and other fruits that occurs in late spring and early summer.The Sioux, Chippewa and Ojibwe communities, for example, refer to the June full moon as the strawberry moon, according to the Western Washington University Planetarium website. Other groups have given it slightly different names that still give a nod to June's fruit-bearing season, such as the Creek term "kvco-hvsee," or "blackberry moon." The Haida call it "gáan kungáay," meaning "berries ripen moon."Many tribes, however, have monikers for June's full moon that have nothing to do with fruit, including the Potawatomi tribe's "msheke'kesis," or "moon of the turtle" and the Tlingit's "at gadaxeet dis," or "birth moon." Typical of a normal year, 2021 has 12 full moons. (There were 13 full moons last year, two of which were in October.)Here is what else you can look forward to in 2021.Meteor showersThe Delta Aquariids meteor shower is best seen from the southern tropics and will peak between July 28 and 29, when the moon is 74% full.Interestingly, another meteor shower peaks on the same night — the Alpha Capricornids. Although this is a much weaker shower, it has been known to produce some bright fireballs during its peak. It will be visible for everyone, regardless of which side of the equator you are on.The Perseid meteor shower, the most popular of the year, will peak between Aug. 11 and 12 in the Northern Hemisphere, when the moon is only 13% full.Here is the meteor shower schedule for the rest of the year, according to EarthSky's meteor shower outlook.• Oct. 8: Draconids• Oct. 21: Orionids• Nov. 4 to 5: South Taurids• Nov. 11 to 12: North Taurids• Nov. 17: Leonids• Dec. 13 to 14: Geminids• Dec. 22: UrsidsSolar and lunar eclipses Nov. 19 will see a partial eclipse of the moon, and skywatchers in North America and Hawaii can view it between 1 a.m. ET and 7:06 a.m. ET.And the year will end with a total eclipse of the sun on Dec. 4. It won't be visible in North America, but those in the Falkland Islands, the southern tip of Africa, Antarctica and southeastern Australia will be able to spot it.

The last supermoon of 2021 — the "strawberry" full moon — will rise Thursday.

Viewers will see a large golden (sorry, not strawberry-colored) moon for two to three nights, according to EarthSky.

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This supermoon becomes completely full at 2:40 p.m. ET on Thursday afternoon. It won't be fully visible in North America until later in the evening during "moonrise," when the sun sets and the moon ascends into view. But viewers all over the world can see the strawberry moon, depending on where they are in respect to the horizon.

Definitions of a supermoon can vary, but the term generally denotes a full moon that is brighter and closer to Earth and thus appears larger in the night sky.

"The term 'supermoon' is much more recent and has come to be any full or new moon within 90% of its closest approach to Earth," wrote Christine Shupla, education and public engagement manager at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, in an email. "By that definition, the full Moon on June 24 is also a supermoon, even though it is not as close as the full Moon was in May or April."

Some stick to a stricter definition of supermoon, like Noah Petro, a lunar scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. For him, the only real supermoon is the one closest full moon of the year, which was last month's "flower" moon. Still, he acknowledged that others use the definition Shupla provided.

"That there is no standard definition is a bother, but anything that gets people interested and excited about looking at and wanting to know more about the Moon is a great thing!!!" Petro wrote in an email.

The strawberry moon is the first of four full moons of the summer season. Its name, which originates from Indigenous peoples, refers to the ripening of strawberries and other fruits that occurs in late spring and early summer.

The Sioux, Chippewa and Ojibwe communities, for example, refer to the June full moon as the strawberry moon, according to the Western Washington University Planetarium website. Other groups have given it slightly different names that still give a nod to June's fruit-bearing season, such as the Creek term "kvco-hvsee," or "blackberry moon." The Haida call it "gáan kungáay," meaning "berries ripen moon."

Many tribes, however, have monikers for June's full moon that have nothing to do with fruit, including the Potawatomi tribe's "msheke'kesis," or "moon of the turtle" and the Tlingit's "at gadaxeet dis," or "birth moon."

Typical of a normal year, 2021 has 12 full moons. (There were 13 full moons last year, two of which were in October.)

Here is what else you can look forward to in 2021.

Meteor showers

The Delta Aquariids meteor shower is best seen from the southern tropics and will peak between July 28 and 29, when the moon is 74% full.

Interestingly, another meteor shower peaks on the same night — the Alpha Capricornids. Although this is a much weaker shower, it has been known to produce some bright fireballs during its peak. It will be visible for everyone, regardless of which side of the equator you are on.

The Perseid meteor shower, the most popular of the year, will peak between Aug. 11 and 12 in the Northern Hemisphere, when the moon is only 13% full.

Here is the meteor shower schedule for the rest of the year, according to EarthSky's meteor shower outlook.

• Oct. 8: Draconids

• Oct. 21: Orionids

• Nov. 4 to 5: South Taurids

• Nov. 11 to 12: North Taurids

• Nov. 17: Leonids

• Dec. 13 to 14: Geminids

• Dec. 22: Ursids

Solar and lunar eclipses

Nov. 19 will see a partial eclipse of the moon, and skywatchers in North America and Hawaii can view it between 1 a.m. ET and 7:06 a.m. ET.

And the year will end with a total eclipse of the sun on Dec. 4. It won't be visible in North America, but those in the Falkland Islands, the southern tip of Africa, Antarctica and southeastern Australia will be able to spot it.