Here’s a comparison between the December 3, 2017, full moon at perigee (closest to Earth for the month) and 2017’s farthest full moon in June at apogee (farthest from Earth for the month) by Muzamir Mazlan at Telok Kemang Observatory, Port Dickson, Malaysia.
The moon’s distance from Earth varies throughout its monthly orbit because the moon’s orbit isn’t perfectly circular. Every month, the moon’s eccentric orbit carries it to apogee – its most distant point from Earth – and then to perigee – the moon’s closest point to Earth – roughly two weeks later.
In this post, beneath the illustration below, we list the year’s 13 apogees and 13 perigees. Yes, the moon’s apparent size in our sky does change across this cycle of the moon. The variation in the moon’s apparent size – across its monthly orbit – is akin to that of a U.S. quarter versus a U.S. nickel.
Also in this post, we share with you a little-known fact about the intriguing cycle of close and far moons.
This year’s farthest apogee comes on February 5 (252,622 miles or 406,555 km) and the closest perigee occurs some 2 weeks later, on February 19, 2019 (221,681 miles or 356,761 km). That’s a difference of about 30,000 miles (50,000 km). Meanwhile, the moon’s mean distance (semi-major axis) from Earth is 238,855 miles (384,400 km).
The moon’s orbit around Earth isn’t a circle, but it’s very nearly circular, as the above diagram shows. Diagram by Brian Koberlein. Used with permission.
Lunar apogees and perigees in 2019
| Apogee | Perigee | |
| Jan 09 | Jan 21 | |
| Feb 05 | Feb 19 | |
| Mar 04 | Mar 19 | |
| Apr 01 | Apr 16 | |
| Apr 28 | May 13 | |
| May 26 | June 07 | |
| June 23 | July 05 | |
| July 20 | Aug 02 | |
| Aug 17 | Aug 30 | |
| Sept 13 | Sept 28 | |
| Oct 10 | Oct 26 | |
| Nov 07 | Nov 23 | |
| Dec 05 | Dec 18 |
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Amazingly, in periods of four years, lunar apogees and perigees fall on the same, or nearly the same calendar dates. Let’s look four years ahead, to the year 2023:
Lunar apogees and perigees in 2023
| Apogee | Perigee | |
| Jan 08 | Jan 21 | |
| Feb 04 | Feb 19 | |
| Mar 03 | Mar 19 | |
| Mar 31 | Apr 16 | |
| Apr 28 | May 11 | |
| May 26 | June 06 | |
| June 22 | July 04 | |
| July 20 | Aug 02 | |
| Aug 16 | Aug 30 | |
| Sept 12 | Sept 28 | |
| Oct 10 | Oct 26 | |
| Nov 06 | Nov 21 | |
| Dec 04 | Dec 16 |
Also, in cycles of two years, the calendar dates remain the same, or nearly so, except that the lunar apogees and perigees trade places. For instance, let’s look two years beyond 2019, to the year 2021:
Lunar perigees and apogees in 2021
| Perigee | Apogee | |
| Jan 09 | Jan 21 | |
| Feb 03 | Feb 18 | |
| Mar 02 | Mar 18 | |
| Mar 30 | Apr 14 | |
| Apr 27 | May 11 | |
| May 26 | June 08 | |
| June 23 | July 05 | |
| July 21 | Aug 02 | |
| Aug 17 | Aug 30 | |
| Sept 11 | Sept 26 | |
| Oct 08 | Oct 24 | |
| Nov 05 | Nov 21 | |
| Dec 04 | Dec 18 |
Want to know more? Here’s for a complete listing of all lunar perigees and apogees for the 21st century (2001 to 2100) and a perigee and apogee calculator.
Here’s a little-known fact of the moon’s apogee/perigee cycle, among both professional astronomers and lay people. That is, the cycle causes lunar apogees and perigees to align on the same, or nearly the same, calendar dates every four years. That’s because 53 returns to perigee (or apogee) are nearly commensurate with four calendar years.
The mean length of the anomalistic month (perigee to perigee, or apogee to apogee) is 27.55455 days, whereas the average Gregorian year equals 365.2425 days. Hence:
27.55455 x 53 = 1460.3912 days
365.2425 x 4 = 1460.97 days
This animation by Peter Lowenstein in Zimbabwe contrasts the size of the May 27, 2017, waxing crescent moon, which was close to Earth, with the June 9, 2017, full moon, which was far from Earth. Read more about this image.
Bottom line: In periods of four years, lunar apogees and perigees fall on the same, or nearly the same, calendar dates.
from EarthSky http://bit.ly/2R1JYEr
Here’s a comparison between the December 3, 2017, full moon at perigee (closest to Earth for the month) and 2017’s farthest full moon in June at apogee (farthest from Earth for the month) by Muzamir Mazlan at Telok Kemang Observatory, Port Dickson, Malaysia.
The moon’s distance from Earth varies throughout its monthly orbit because the moon’s orbit isn’t perfectly circular. Every month, the moon’s eccentric orbit carries it to apogee – its most distant point from Earth – and then to perigee – the moon’s closest point to Earth – roughly two weeks later.
In this post, beneath the illustration below, we list the year’s 13 apogees and 13 perigees. Yes, the moon’s apparent size in our sky does change across this cycle of the moon. The variation in the moon’s apparent size – across its monthly orbit – is akin to that of a U.S. quarter versus a U.S. nickel.
Also in this post, we share with you a little-known fact about the intriguing cycle of close and far moons.
This year’s farthest apogee comes on February 5 (252,622 miles or 406,555 km) and the closest perigee occurs some 2 weeks later, on February 19, 2019 (221,681 miles or 356,761 km). That’s a difference of about 30,000 miles (50,000 km). Meanwhile, the moon’s mean distance (semi-major axis) from Earth is 238,855 miles (384,400 km).
The moon’s orbit around Earth isn’t a circle, but it’s very nearly circular, as the above diagram shows. Diagram by Brian Koberlein. Used with permission.
Lunar apogees and perigees in 2019
| Apogee | Perigee | |
| Jan 09 | Jan 21 | |
| Feb 05 | Feb 19 | |
| Mar 04 | Mar 19 | |
| Apr 01 | Apr 16 | |
| Apr 28 | May 13 | |
| May 26 | June 07 | |
| June 23 | July 05 | |
| July 20 | Aug 02 | |
| Aug 17 | Aug 30 | |
| Sept 13 | Sept 28 | |
| Oct 10 | Oct 26 | |
| Nov 07 | Nov 23 | |
| Dec 05 | Dec 18 |
Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!
Amazingly, in periods of four years, lunar apogees and perigees fall on the same, or nearly the same calendar dates. Let’s look four years ahead, to the year 2023:
Lunar apogees and perigees in 2023
| Apogee | Perigee | |
| Jan 08 | Jan 21 | |
| Feb 04 | Feb 19 | |
| Mar 03 | Mar 19 | |
| Mar 31 | Apr 16 | |
| Apr 28 | May 11 | |
| May 26 | June 06 | |
| June 22 | July 04 | |
| July 20 | Aug 02 | |
| Aug 16 | Aug 30 | |
| Sept 12 | Sept 28 | |
| Oct 10 | Oct 26 | |
| Nov 06 | Nov 21 | |
| Dec 04 | Dec 16 |
Also, in cycles of two years, the calendar dates remain the same, or nearly so, except that the lunar apogees and perigees trade places. For instance, let’s look two years beyond 2019, to the year 2021:
Lunar perigees and apogees in 2021
| Perigee | Apogee | |
| Jan 09 | Jan 21 | |
| Feb 03 | Feb 18 | |
| Mar 02 | Mar 18 | |
| Mar 30 | Apr 14 | |
| Apr 27 | May 11 | |
| May 26 | June 08 | |
| June 23 | July 05 | |
| July 21 | Aug 02 | |
| Aug 17 | Aug 30 | |
| Sept 11 | Sept 26 | |
| Oct 08 | Oct 24 | |
| Nov 05 | Nov 21 | |
| Dec 04 | Dec 18 |
Want to know more? Here’s for a complete listing of all lunar perigees and apogees for the 21st century (2001 to 2100) and a perigee and apogee calculator.
Here’s a little-known fact of the moon’s apogee/perigee cycle, among both professional astronomers and lay people. That is, the cycle causes lunar apogees and perigees to align on the same, or nearly the same, calendar dates every four years. That’s because 53 returns to perigee (or apogee) are nearly commensurate with four calendar years.
The mean length of the anomalistic month (perigee to perigee, or apogee to apogee) is 27.55455 days, whereas the average Gregorian year equals 365.2425 days. Hence:
27.55455 x 53 = 1460.3912 days
365.2425 x 4 = 1460.97 days
This animation by Peter Lowenstein in Zimbabwe contrasts the size of the May 27, 2017, waxing crescent moon, which was close to Earth, with the June 9, 2017, full moon, which was far from Earth. Read more about this image.
Bottom line: In periods of four years, lunar apogees and perigees fall on the same, or nearly the same, calendar dates.
from EarthSky http://bit.ly/2R1JYEr
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